ADPICS NUMBER N00R4400605
Maryland’s Human Services Agency
STATE OF MARYLAND
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES
DIVISION OF BUDGET AND FINANCE
COST ALLOCATION AND REVENUE MANAGEMENT
311 WEST SARATOGA STREET
BALTIMORE, MD 21201
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
FOR
ANNUAL OPERATION AND HOSTING OF RANDOM MOMENT SAMPLE
SOFTWARE FOR MARYLAND DHR
DHR AGENCY CONTROL NUMBER: OBF/CARM-14-001 S
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Prospective Offerors who have received this
document electronically via eMaryland Marketplace or the DHR Web Page
should immediately contact the Issuing Office and provide their name, mailing
address, and e-mail address in order that communications regarding this RFP
can be sent to them. Any prospective Offeror who fails to notify the Issuing
Office with this information assumes complete responsibility in the event that
they do not receive communications from the Issuing Office prior to the closing
date.
In order to receive a Contract award, a vendor shall be registered on eMaryland
Marketplace (eMM). eMM registration is free of charge. The eMM website
ishttps://emaryland.buyspeed.com/bso/.
The State of Maryland encourages Minority Business Enterprises to
participate in this procurement process.
Date Issued: March 26, 2014
i
Maryland’s Human Services Agency
KEY INFORMATION SUMMARY SHEET
STATE OF MARYLAND
Request for Proposals
ANNUAL OPERATION AND HOSTING OF RANDOM MOMENT
SAMPLE SOFTWARE FOR MARYLAND DHR
AGENCY CONTROL NUMBER: OBF/CARM-14-001 S
RFP Issue Date:
March 26, 2014
RFP Issuing Office:
Department of Human Resources
Division of Budget & Finance
Cost Allocation and Revenue Management
Procurement Officer:
Roland L. Knox
Phone: 410-767-7370
Fax: 410- 333-0258
E-mail:Roland.Knox@maryland.gov
Proposals are to be sent to:
Department of Human Resources
Procurement Division
311 W. Saratoga Street, Room 946
Baltimore, MD21201-3521
Questions are to be sent to:
Roland L. Knox
Phone: 410-767-7370
Fax: 410- 333-0258
E-mail: Roland.Knox@maryland.gov
Question Due Date/Time:
Pre-Proposal Conference:
Closing Date/Time:
April 29, 2014
April 17, 2014/ 1:00p.m.
April 30, 2014/ 3:00 p.m.
MBE Subcontracting Goal:
0%
VSBE Subcontracting Goal:
0%
ii
STATE OF MARYLAND
NOTICE TO VENDORS/CONTRACTORS
To help us improve the quality of State solicitations, and make our procurement process more
responsive and “business friendly,” we ask that you take a few minutes to complete this form.
Please return your comments to Mr. Roland Knox, the Procurement Officer, via fax at (410) 3330258 or e-mail at Roland.Knox@maryland.gov, with your proposal or “no offer,” as the case
may be. Thank you for your assistance.
Proposal Number: OBF/CARM/14-001-Sentitled: Annual Operation and Hosting of Random
Moment Sample Software for Maryland DHR
I. If you are not submitting a Proposal, please indicate why:
[
[
[
[
[
[
[
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
Other commitments preclude our participation at this time.
The subject of the Contract is not in our business line.
We lack experience in the work / commodities required.
The scope of work is beyond our current capacity.
We cannot be competitive. (Please explain below.)
The specifications are either unclear or too restrictive. (Please explain below.)
Proposal requirements, other than the specifications, are unreasonable or too risky.
(Please explain below.)
[ ] Time for completion is insufficient.
[ ] Bonding/Insurance requirements are prohibitive. (Please explain below.)
[ ] Doing business with Government is simply too complicated.
[ ] Prior experience with State of Maryland contracts was unprofitable or otherwise
unsatisfactory. (Please explain in Remarks section.)
[ ] Other:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
II. Please explain your response further, offer suggestions, or express concerns. (Use the back
for additional information.)
REMARKS:___________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
OPTIONAL
Vendor Name: ____________________________________________Date: ______________
Contact: _________________________________________________Phone: ____________
Address or e-mail: ______________________________________________________________
THANK YOU!!!
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
KEY INFORMATION SUMMARY SHEET .................................................................ii
NOTICE TO VENDORS/CONTRACTORS ..................................................................iii
SECTION I. OBJECTIVE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS ....................................1
1.1
Summary Statement .................................................................................1
1.2
Procurement Officer.................................................................................1
1.3
Pre-Proposal Conference .........................................................................1
1.4
Electronic Procurement Authorization ....................................................2
1.5
Questions and Inquiries............................................................................3
1.6
Closing Date.............................................................................................4
1.7
No Offer Statement ..................................................................................4
1.8
Duration of Proposal Offer ......................................................................4
1.9
State Project Manager ..............................................................................4
1.10 Glossary of Terms ....................................................................................5
SECTION II. GENERAL INFORMATION ..................................................................8
2.1
Purpose.....................................................................................................8
2.2
Revisions to the RFP................................................................................8
2.3
Cancellation of the RFP ...........................................................................8
2.4
Acceptance of Proposal and Terms and Conditions ................................8
2.5
Additional Information ............................................................................8
2.6
Incurred Expenses ....................................................................................9
2.7
Economy of Preparation ..........................................................................9
2.8
State Supplied Services ............................................................................9
2.9
Alternate Proposals ..................................................................................9
2.10 Multiple Proposals ...................................................................................9
2.11 Proposal Opening .....................................................................................9
2.12 Contract Term ..........................................................................................9
2.13 Multi-Year Contract .................................................................................10
2.14 Options .....................................................................................................10
2.15 Bid/Proposal Affidavit .............................................................................10
2.16 Corporate Registration .............................................................................10
2.17 Compliance with Law ..............................................................................11
2.18 Contract Affidavit ....................................................................................11
2.19 Public Information Act Notice .................................................................11
2.20 Contractor's Responsibilities....................................................................11
2.21 Document Ownership ..............................................................................12
2.22 General Contractual Conditions ...............................................................12
2.23 Procurement Method ................................................................................13
2.24 Contract Type...........................................................................................13
2.25 Invoicing ..................................................................................................13
2.26 Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) .............................................................14
2.27 Contract Award ........................................................................................14
2.28 Discussions ..............................................................................................14
2.29 eMaryland Marketplace Registration ......................................................15
2.30 Protests .....................................................................................................15
iv
2.31
2.32
2.33
2.34
Minority Business Enterprises .................................................................15
Minority Business Enterprise Participation Goal and Sub-Goal .............16
Veteran-owned Small Business Enterprises (VSBE) ..............................16
Veteran-owned Small Business Enterprises (VSBE) Participation
Goal ..........................................................................................................16
2.35 Insurance Requirements ...........................................................................16
2.36 Certification Regarding Lobbying ...........................................................17
2.37 Oral Presentations ....................................................................................17
2.38 Confidentiality .........................................................................................17
2.39 False Statements.......................................................................................17
2.40 Living Wage Requirements .....................................................................18
2.41 Hiring Agreement ....................................................................................19
2.42 Liquidated Damages ................................................................................19
2.43 Prompt Payment Policy............................................................................19
2.44 Conflict of Interest ...................................................................................19
2.45 Non-Visual Access...................................................................................20
SECTION III. SCOPE OF WORK ..................................................................................21
3.1
Background ..............................................................................................21
3.2
Objectives ................................................................................................21
3.3
Offeror Minimum Qualifications .............................................................22
3.4
Contractor Requirements .........................................................................22
3.5
Transition-In ............................................................................................37
3.6
Transition-Out ..........................................................................................38
3.7
Post-Award Orientation Conference ........................................................38
3.8
Deliverables .............................................................................................38
SECTION IV. REQUIREMENTS FOR PROPOSAL PREPARATION .......................47
4.1
Two Volume Submission.........................................................................47
4.2
Volume 1 - Technical...............................................................................47
4.3
Volume II - Financial ...............................................................................52
SECTION V. – EVALUATION COMMITTEE, EVALUATION CRITERIA, AND
SELECTION PROCEDURE ...........................................................................................54
5.1
Evaluation Committee .............................................................................54
5.2
Technical Proposal Evaluation Criteria ...................................................54
5.3
Financial Proposal Evaluation Criteria ....................................................54
5.4
Reciprocal Preference ..............................................................................54
5.5
Selection Procedures ................................................................................55
5.6
Documents Required upon Notice of Recommendation for
Contract Award ........................................................................................56
SECTION VI. APPENDICES ........................................................................................57
Attachment A- Pricing Proposal ..........................................................................57
Attachment B - Bid Proposal Affidavit ...............................................................57
Attachment C - Contract Affidavit ......................................................................57
Attachment D - Services Contract –Sample ........................................................57
Attachment E - Electronic Funds Transfer ..........................................................57
Attachment F - Certification Regarding Lobbying ..............................................57
Attachment G - Living Wage Requirements for Service Contracts and
Affidavit of Agreement ............................................................................57
v
Attachment H - Hiring Agreement ......................................................................57
Attachment I - Deliverable Acceptance Form .....................................................57
Attachment J - Notice to Proceed ........................................................................57
Attachment K - Conflict of Interest Affidavit......................................................57
Attachment L – Agency Receipt of Deliverables Form.......................................57
THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
vi
SECTION I. OBJECTIVE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
1.1
Summary Statement
The Department of Human Resources (Department or DHR), Division of Budget and
Finance, Cost Allocation and Revenue Management Division (CARM), intends to
acquire contractual services for the purpose of providing annual operation, maintenance,
hosting and support of a Random Moment Time Study (RMTS) software program for the
Department’s two mandated Time Studies, the Social Services Time Study (SSTS) and,
the Family Investment Administration Time Study (FIATS). The system shall be used to
distribute direct costs appropriate to the various programs and services provided by
DHR’S Social Services Administration (SSA) and Family Investment Administration
(FIA). The Contract resulting from this solicitation shall be for a two (2) year period
with one (1) one year renewal option at the State’s sole discretion. Only one award is
anticipated from this solicitation.
1.2
Procurement Officer
The sole point of contact in the State for purposes of this RFP is:
Roland L. Knox, Procurement Officer
Department of Human Resources
Procurement Unit
311 West Saratoga Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Office Phone Number: 410-767-7370
Office Fax Number: 410-333-0258
E-mail: Roland.knox@maryland.gov
DHR may change the Procurement Officer at any time and will notify the Offeror in
writing of any such change.
1.3
Pre-Proposal Conference
A Pre-Proposal Conference will be held on April 17, 2014 beginning at 1:00:p.m.
eastern standard time (est.) at the DHR Headquarters, 311 West Saratoga Street, Room
104, Baltimore, MD 21201.
In order to assure adequate seating and other accommodations at the Pre-Proposal
Conference, it is requested that by April 14, 2014, all potential Offerors planning to
attend call the Procurement Officer (ref. Section 1.2) or send an e-mail with such notice.
In addition, if there is a need for sign language interpretation and/or other special
accommodations due to a disability, provide at least five (5) calendar days notice of such
need and DHR will make reasonable efforts to provide such special accommodation.
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 1
The Conference will be transcribed. As promptly as is feasible subsequent to the
Conference, a summary of the Pre-Proposal Conference, and all questions and answers
known at that time will be made available to all prospective Offerors known to have
received a copy of this RFP, via eMarylandMarketplace, found at
https://emaryland.buyspeed.com/bso, and the DHR web page at
www.dhr.state.md.us.
1.4
Electronic Procurement Authorization
A.
The following transactions are authorized to be conducted by electronic means on
the terms described. “Electronic means” refers to exchanges or communications
using electronic, digital, magnetic, wireless, optical, electromagnetic, or other
means of electronically conducting transactions. Electronic means includes
facsimile, electronic mail, internet-based communications, electronic funds
transfer, specific electronic bidding platforms (e.g.
https://emaryland.buyspeed.com/bso), and electronic data interchange.
1. The Procurement Officer may conduct the procurement using e-Maryland
Marketplace, the DHR web page, e-mail or facsimile to issue:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
the solicitation (e.g. the RFP);
any amendments;
pre-proposal conference documents;
questions and responses;
communications regarding the solicitation or proposal to any Offeror
including requests for clarification, explanation, or removal of
elements of an Offeror's Proposal deemed not acceptable;
f. notices of award selection or non-selection; and
g. the Procurement Officer’s decision on any protest or Contract claim.
2. An Offeror or potential Offeror may use e-mail or facsimile to:
a. ask questions regarding the solicitation;
b. reply to any material received from the Procurement Officer by
electronic means that includes a Procurement Officer's request or
direction to reply by e-mail or facsimile, but only on the terms
specifically approved and directed by the Procurement Officer;
c. request a debriefing; or
d. submit a "No Offer” response to the solicitation.
3. The Procurement Officer, the State Project Manager and the Contractor may
conduct day-to-day Contract administration, except as outlined in Section B of
this subsection utilizing e-mail, facsimile or other electronic means if
authorized by the Procurement Officer or State Project Manager.
B.
The following transactions related to this procurement and any Contract awarded
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 2
pursuant to it are not authorized to be conducted by electronic means:
1.
2.
3.
4.
submission of initial proposals;
filing of protests;
filing of Contract claims;
submission of documents determined by DHR to require original signatures
(e.g. Contract execution, Contract modifications, etc.); or
5. any transaction, submission, or communication where the Procurement
Officer has specifically directed that a response from the Contractor or
Offeror be provided in writing or hard copy.
C.
1.5
Any facsimile or electronic mail transmission is only authorized to the facsimile
numbers or electronic mail addresses for the identified person(s) as provided in
the RFP, the Contract, or at the direction of the Procurement Officer or State
Project Manager.
Questions and Inquiries
Written questions from prospective Offerors will be accepted by the Procurement Officer
(ref. Section 1.2) prior to the Pre-Proposal Conference. As practical and appropriate, the
answers to these pre-submitted questions will be provided at the Pre-Proposal
Conference. No substantive question will be answered prior to the Pre-Proposal
Conference. Additionally questions, both written and oral, will be accepted from the
prospective Offerors at the Pre-Proposal Conference and will be answered at this
conference or in a subsequent transmittal, which will be posted on the Department’s
website and eMaryland Marketplace.
Questions will also be accepted subsequent to the Pre-Proposal Conference. All postConference questions shall be submitted in a timely manner to the Procurement Officer
only. The Procurement Officer will, based on the availability of time to research and
communicate an answer, decide whether an answer can be provided before the Proposal
due date. Answers to all substantive questions that have not previously been answered,
and are not clearly specific only to the requestor will be distributed to all prospective
Offerors who are known to have received a copy of the RFP.
Subsequent to the Conference, additional Pre-proposal questions may be submitted by
mail, facsimile, or preferably, by e-mail to the Procurement Officer.
Should a potential Offeror identify alleged ambiguities in the Specifications or
Contract provisions included in the RFP, or should there be doubt as to the meaning
or intent of any section or subsection herein, the potential Offeror shall request
clarification from the Procurement Officer prior to the Proposal due date. Failure
to do so may prevent consideration of a future protest (see COMAR 21.10.02.03).
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 3
1.6
Closing Date
An original, to be so identified, and five (5) copies of the Technical Proposal and
Financial Proposal (See Section IV) shall be received by the Procurement Officer (ref.
Section 1.2) by April 30, 2014 at 3:00 p.m. est. in order to be considered.
Requests for extension of this date or time shall not be granted. Offerors mailing
Proposals should allow sufficient mail delivery time to insure timely receipt by the
Procurement Officer (ref. Section 1.2). Proposals or unsolicited amendments to
Proposals arriving after the closing time and date will not be considered, except under the
conditions identified in COMAR 21.05.02.10 B and 21.05.03.02 F.
Oral, electronic mail or facsimile Proposals will not be accepted.
1.7
No Offer Statement
Offerors not responding to this solicitation are requested to complete and submit the
Notice to Vendors/Contractors form that includes the company information and the
reason for not responding (i.e. too busy, cannot meet mandatory requirements, etc.). This
form is located immediately after the Key Information Summary Sheet.
1.8
Duration of Proposal Offer
The content of this RFP and the Proposal of the successful Offeror will be included by
reference in any resulting Contract. All prices, terms and conditions in the Proposal shall
remain fixed and valid for 120 calendar days after the closing date for receipt of
Proposals or the closing date for receipt of Best and Final Offers. This period may be
extended by written mutual agreement between the Offeror and the requesting State
organization.
1.9
State Project Manager
The State Project Manager for this Contract is:
Regina Hill, Random Moment Study Program Administrator
Department of Human Resources
Division of Budget & Finance
Cost Allocation and Revenue Management
311 West Saratoga Street, 9th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21201
Office Phone Number: 410-767-8940
Office Fax Number: 410-333-0465
E-mail: regina.hill@maryland.gov
After Contract award, this person will serve as the primary point of contact for the
Contractor in regards to the services provided under the Contract.
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 4
DHR may change the State Project Manager at any time and will notify the Contractor in
writing of any such change.
1.10
Glossary of Terms
A. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
The codification of the general and permanent rules and regulations published in the
Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the federal
government of the United States.
B. Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR)
A publication of the Maryland Secretary of State’s Division of State Documents for
implementing State law. Title 21 governs State Procurement Regulations. Title 07
governs all Department programs.
C. Contract
An agreement entered into by a procurement agency for the lease as lessee of real or
personal property or the acquisition of supplies, services, construction, constructionrelated services, architectural services, or engineering services. (COMAR
21.01.02.01.B (25)(a)).
D. Cost Allocation and Revenue Management Division (CARM)
A unit under the Department’s Office of Budget and Finance. This division helps
build the foundation for DHR’s annual budget by determining how much of DHR’s
costs can be billed to the federal government.
E. Department Administrator
The representative of the Department responsible for day-to-day monitoring of the
performance of the Contractor during the Contract term, including the receipt of all
reporting requirements.
F. Department of Human Resources (DHR or Department)
Maryland’s fourth largest State agency, established to administer the State’s public
assistance, social services, child support, and community services programs.
G. Department of Information Technology (DoIT)
The State agency responsible for information technology oversight across State
government.
H. Family Investment Administration (FIA)
A DHR unit that oversees a number of public assistance programs that help
individuals move toward economic self-sufficiency. These programs are
administered statewide by the 24 local departments of social services and include
Temporary Cash Assistance, Food Supplement Program, Child Care Subsidy
(formerly Purchase of Care), Public Assistance to Adults, and Medical Assistance.
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 5
I. Family Investment Administration Time Study (FIATS)
FIATS is a tool that allows DHR to account for the use of FIA staff resources when it
claims funds from the federal government to support its programs, without keeping
minute-by-minute records of activities performed by social services staff during the
workday. FIATS contains approximately 2,000 participants and requires
approximately 3,000 sample observations each quarter.
J. Fully Loaded Fixed Unit Price
Means the inclusion in billing rates of all profit, direct and indirect costs associated
with providing services.
K. Go Live Date
The date when the Contractor shall begin providing services required by this RFP and
receives compensation. Any start up activities are excluded from compensation and
are prior to the Go Live Date.
L. Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
A widely accepted approach to IT service management. ITIL provides a cohesive set
of best practices, drawn from the public and private sectors internationally, that are
designed to help companies identify areas where they need improvement, providing
vendor-neutral guidelines on where to make specific changes to reduce costs and
increase productivity. Individuals may obtain accreditation or certification in ITIL’s
best practices.
M. Late Response
A sample response that is entered into the Contractor’s RMTS system more than three
(3) business days past the original sample notification date.
N. Local Department of Social Services (LDSS)
The local social services unit in the 24 jurisdictions or counties in Maryland
(including Baltimore City and the Montgomery County Department of Health and
Human Services) through which DHR administers all major social services programs.
O. Notice to Proceed (NTP)
Written notification to the Contractor to begin services under the Contract.
P. Office of Technology for Human Services (OTHS)
OTHS directs the management information systems of the Department. OTHS is
responsible for design, development and implementation and enhancements of
computer programs used to maintain and track DHR customer data; computer
applications and systems, computer and communication equipment, computer
peripheral equipment, telephone systems and equipment, ancillary facility and
support equipment.
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 6
Q. Procurement Officer
The State representative responsible for this procurement and the only State
representative who can authorize changes to the Contract.
R. Project Manager Professional (PMP)
A credential offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI) which evidences
knowledge and familiarity with PMI’s Project Management Body of Knowledge
(PMBOK) Guide. Public and private sector organizations employ PMP certified
project managers in an attempt to improve the success rate of projects in all areas of
knowledge, by applying the principles found in PMI’s PMBOK Guide.
S. Public Assistance Cost Allocation Plan (PACAP)
A narrative description of the procedures that will be used in identifying, measuring
and allocating all administrative costs to all of the programs administered or
supervised by State public assistance agencies.
T. Random Moment Time Study (RMTS)
A tool used to document the use of staff resources when the State claims federal
funds to support federal, state, and local public assistance programs. This tool creates
a sample pool of DHR staffers. Observations are taken at random times during the
workday for individuals in the sample. All responses of staff in the sample are used to
determine the distribution of staff and overhead costs to various programs funded
with federal, state and local dollars.
U. Social Services Administration (SSA)
A DHR unit that oversees the administration of child welfare services in the State of
Maryland under the authority of Public Law 105-89, The Adoption and Safe Families
Act of 1997.
V. Social Services Time Study (SSTS)
A tool that allows DHR to account for the use of SSA staff resources when it claims
funds from the federal government to support its programs, without keeping minute by-minute records of activities performed by social services staff during the workday.
The SSTS contains approximately 2000 participants and requires approximately
3,000 sample observations each quarter.
W. Timely Response
A sample response that is entered into the Contractor’s RMTS system within three
(3) business days after the original sample notification date.
THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 7
SECTION II. GENERAL INFORMATION
2.1
Purpose
The purpose of this RFP is to provide information to Offerors interested in preparing and
submitting Proposals to meet the requirements for contractual services described herein.
2.2
Revisions to the RFP
If it becomes necessary to revise this RFP before the due date for Proposals, amendments
will be provided to all prospective Offerors who were sent this RFP or otherwise are
known by the Procurement Officer to have obtained this RFP. Amendments made after
the due date for Proposals will be sent only to those Offerors who submitted a timely
Proposal.
Acknowledgment of the receipt of all amendments to this RFP issued before the Proposal
due date shall accompany the Offeror’s Proposal in the Transmittal Letter accompanying
the Technical Proposal (ref. Section 4.2).Acknowledgement of the receipt of
amendments to the RFP issued after the Proposal due date shall be in the manner
specified in the amendment notice. Failure to acknowledge receipt of amendments does
not relieve the Offeror from complying with all terms of any such amendment.
2.3
Cancellation of the RFP
The State may cancel this RFP, in whole or in part, whenever this action is determined to
be fiscally advantageous to the State or otherwise in the State’s best interest. If the RFP
is canceled, a notice of cancellation will be provided to all prospective Offerors who were
sent this RFP or otherwise are known by the Procurement Officer to have obtained this
RFP.
2.4
Acceptance of Proposal and Terms and Conditions
The State reserves the right to accept or reject any and all Proposals, in whole or in part,
received in response to this RFP, or to waive or permit cure of minor irregularities to
serve the best interests of the State of Maryland.
By submitting a Proposal in response to this RFP, an Offeror shall be deemed to have
accepted all the terms, conditions, and requirements set forth in this RFP unless otherwise
clearly noted and explained in its Proposal as an attachment to the Transmittal Letter
required in Section 4.2. A Proposal that takes exception to these terms may be rejected.
2.5
Additional Information
Offerors who submit Proposals may be required to provide additional information orally
or in writing and/or to submit to a site inspection by State representatives in order to
clarify or document their Proposals.
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 8
2.6
Incurred Expenses
The State will not be responsible for any costs incurred by any Offeror in preparing and
submitting a Proposal in response to this RFP, including making an oral presentation,
holding discussions, making a presentation or conducting an on-site inspection. Any
expenses incurred by State personnel or representatives for on-site inspections will be
borne by DHR.
2.7
Economy of Preparation
Proposals shall be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward,
concise description of the Offeror's Proposal for meeting the requirements of this RFP.
2.8
State Supplied Services
The Department will provide the Contractor with updated information necessary for the
successful operation of RMTS system for the two time studies, including:




2.9
Updated employee lists, including e-mail addresses;
Updated lists of DHR management personnel and e-mail addresses, including
Supervisors, Assistant District Managers and District Managers;
Updated lists of physical locations where DHR’s employees work; and
Updated lists of program codes as amended in the Department’s PACAP for selection
by the employees as they respond to the poll questions.
Alternate Proposals
An Offeror shall not submit an alternate Proposal in response to this RFP.
2.10
Multiple Proposals
An Offeror shall not submit more than one Proposal in response to this RFP.
2.11
Proposal Opening
Proposals will not be opened publicly, but will be opened in the presence of at least two
State employees. Proposals shall be held in a secure place until the established due date.
After the established due date, a Register of Proposals shall be prepared that identifies
each Offeror. The Register of Proposals shall be open to public inspection after award of
the Contract. Proposals shall be shown only to members of the Evaluation Committee or
State employees having a legitimate interest in them.
2.12
Contract Term
The Contract awarded as a result of this solicitation shall be for a period of two (2) years.
The Contract shall begin on or about October 1, 2014 and end on or about September
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 9
30, 2016.. In addition, there is an available renewal option as per Section 2.14.
From the date of Contract Commencement, approximately October 1, 2014 or a later
date contained in a Notice to Proceed (NTP)(Attachment J) issued by the Procurement
Officer, the Contractor shall perform start-up activities such as are necessary to enable
the Contractor to begin the successful performance of Contract activities as of the “GoLive Date”. No compensation will be paid to the Contractor for any start-up activities it
performs between the date of Contract Commencement and the “Go Live Date.”
2.13
2.14
Multi-Year Contract
A.
This is a multi-year Contract. The required services as provided for in Section III
shall be provided for the entire Contract period.
B.
A Fully Loaded Fixed Unit Price shall be given for the service and the Total
Evaluated Price shall be the same throughout the entire period of performance
(including the option periods) as provided in the Pricing Proposal (Attachment
A).
C.
Funding for any Contract resulting from this RFP is dependent upon
appropriations from the Maryland General Assembly and/or the federal
government. The multi-year Contract shall be canceled if funds are not
appropriated or otherwise made available to support continuation of performance
in any fiscal period succeeding the first.
D.
The Procurement Officer shall notify the Contractor in a timely manner if the
funds are not available for the continuation of the Contract for each succeeding
fiscal period.
Options
The Contract will contain an option to renew upon the same base period Contract terms
and conditions, for one (1) additional one (1) year period of time. Exercise of the renewal
option will be solely at the discretion of the State. The prices for the option year will be
as provided on the Pricing Proposal (Attachment A).
2.15
Bid/Proposal Affidavit
The Bid/Proposal Affidavit (Attachment B), shall be completed by all Offerors
responding to this RFP and submitted with their Technical Proposal. This Affidavit
includes commercial nondiscrimination, minority business enterprise, anti-bribery, noncollusion, debarment, tax payment, investment in Iran and conflict minerals affirmations.
2.16
Corporate Registration
All corporations doing business in Maryland are required by law to be registered with the
State of Maryland, Department of Assessments and Taxation, Comptroller’s Office as
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 10
well as with the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation and shall have a resident
agent. The resident agent shall be either an individual (not the corporation itself) with an
address within the boundaries of Maryland or a corporation which represents other
corporations as a resident agent.
Any potential Offeror who is not sure of resident/foreign corporate status is advised to
contact the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation, at 410-767-1340. It is
strongly recommended that any potential Offeror be completely registered prior to the
due date for receipt of Proposals. An Offeror’s failure to complete registration with the
Department of Assessments and Taxation may disqualify an otherwise successful Offeror
from final consideration and recommendation for Contract award.
2.17
Compliance with Law
By submitting a Proposal in response to this RFP, the Offeror, if selected for award,
agrees that it will comply with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations applicable
to its activities and obligations under the Contract. By submitting a Proposal in response
to the RFP, the Offeror shall be deemed to represent that it is not in arrears in the
payment of any obligation due and owing the State of Maryland or any department or
unit thereof, including but not limited to the payment of taxes and employee benefits, and
if selected for award, that it shall not become so in arrears during the term of the
Contract.
2.18
Contract Affidavit
The Contract Affidavit (Attachment C) shall be completed and submitted by the
selected Contractor within ten (10) working days from notification of the
recommendation for award and each renewal thereafter. This affidavit includes the
financial, political and drug and alcohol free work place affirmations and a reaffirmation
of the Bid/Proposal Affidavit.
2.19
Public Information Act Notice
Offerors shall give specific attention to the identification of those portions of their
Proposals that they deem to be confidential, proprietary information or trade secrets and
provide justification why such materials, upon request, should not be disclosed by the
State under the Access to Public Records Act, State Government Article, Title 10,
Subtitle 6, Annotated Code of Maryland.
Offerors are advised that, upon request for this information from a third party, the
Procurement Officer is required to make an independent determination as to whether the
information shall be divulged to the party. A blanket statement declaring the entire
Proposal confidential is not acceptable.
2.20
Contractor's Responsibilities
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 11
The State will enter into a contractual agreement with the selected Offeror. The selected
Offeror shall be responsible for all services as required by this RFP. Subcontractors are
prohibited from performing the services under any contractual agreement resulting from
this solicitation without the prior approval of the State.
If an Offeror that seeks to perform or provide the services required by this RFP is the
subsidiary of another entity, all information submitted by the Offeror, such as but not
limited to, minimum Offeror requirements, references and financial reports, or experience
and documentation (e.g. insurance policies, bonds, letters of credit) used to meet
minimum qualifications, if any, shall pertain exclusively to the Offeror, unless the parent
organization will guarantee the performance of the subsidiary. If applicable, the
Offeror’s Proposal shall contain an explicit statement that the parent organization will
guarantee the performance of the subsidiary.
Although experience and documentation of an Offeror’s parent organization may be used to
satisfy minimum qualifications (Section 3.3), a parental guarantee of the performance of the
Offeror under this Section will not automatically result in crediting the Offeror with the
experience and/or qualifications of the parent under any evaluation criteria pertaining to the
actual Offeror’s experience and qualifications. Instead, the Offeror will be evaluated on the
extent to which the State determines that the experience and qualifications of the parent are
transferred to and shared with the Offeror, any stated intent by the parent in its guarantee of
performance for direct involvement in the performance of the Contract, and the value of the
parent’s participation as determined by the State.
2.21
Document Ownership
In the event of Contract award, all data and documentation produced as part of the
Contract shall become the exclusive property of the Department, State of Maryland and
may not be removed by an employee of the Contractor or subcontractor(s), or used, sold,
reproduced or duplicated in any way for any purpose by the Contractor or
subcontractor(s) without the written permission of the Department. Technical Proposals
received from Offerors in response to this RFP and the corresponding Financial Proposals
from qualified Offerors shall become the property of the Department and will not be
returned to the Offeror.
2.22
General Contractual Conditions
Any Contract resulting from this RFP shall be governed by the laws of the State of
Maryland and shall include at a minimum all the terms and conditions set forth in the
Services Contract (Attachment D) and Contract Affidavit (Attachment C).
Prior to Award, both the Contract and the Affidavit shall be completed along with
witnessed signatures and dates and submitted by the recommended Contractor.
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 12
2.23
Procurement Method
This procurement is being conducted in accordance with COMAR Title 21.05.03,
Procurement by Competitive Sealed Proposals.
2.24
Contract Type
The Contract that results from this RFP shall be an indefinite quantity contract with Firm
Fixed Unit Prices in accordance with COMAR 21.06.03.02 (A) (1) and 21.06.03 06 (A)
(2).
2.25
Invoicing
The Contractor shall bill the Department after the Transition-In period (ref. Section 3.5)
and initial training of Department Administrators, DHR staff and management are
complete (ref. Section 3.4 (D)). DHR will not pay the Contractor prior to the completion
of these activities. Thereafter, the Contractor shall bill the Department quarterly for the
annual hosting, maintenance and technical support services for the RMTS system.
Invoices shall be due on or before the 15th day of the month following the end of the
quarter for services provided in the previous quarter.
Payment will be made based upon the Contractor’s Fully Loaded Fixed Unit Price
listed in the Pricing Proposal (Attachment A) following receipt of an approved invoice.
The Contractor’s Fully Loaded Fixed Unit Price shall be inclusive of all direct and
indirect costs and profit to fulfill the requirements of this RFP.
The Department reserves the right to reduce or withhold all or part of the Contractor’s
payment in the event the Contractor does not provide the Department with all required
deliverables within the time frames specified in the Contract or in the event that the
Contractor otherwise materially breaches the terms and conditions of the Contract. The
Contractor will be eligible to receive the aggregate of any withheld funds after
submission and approval by the State Project Manager of any outstanding Deliverables.
Any withheld funds will be included in the Contractor’s next payment after approval of
the outstanding Deliverables by the State Project Manager.
2.25.1 Invoice submission consists of the following requirements and steps.

All invoices shall (at a minimum) be signed and dated in addition to including the
Contractor’s mailing address, the Contractor’s Social Security number or Federal
Tax ID number, the State’s assigned Contract Purchase Order number, the
goods/services provided, the time period covered by the invoice, the amount of
requested payment and the Contractor’s point of contact with a telephone number.

The Contractor shall send the original of each invoice and supporting
documentation (itemized billing reference for employees) for each deliverable to
the State Project Manager, with a copy to:
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 13
Pat Kick, Accounts Payable
Division of Budget and Finance
Maryland Department of Human Resources
311 West Saratoga Street, 9th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21201
Invoices for final payment shall be clearly marked as “FINAL” and submitted when all
work requirements have been completed and no further charges are to be incurred under
the Contract. In no event shall any invoice be submitted later than sixty (60) calendar
days from the Contract’s termination date.
2.26
Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
Electronic funds transfer will be used by the State to pay the Contractor for this Contract
and any other State payments due the Contractor unless the State Comptroller’s Office
grants the Contractor an exemption. The selected Contractor shall register using the
attached form COT/GAD X-10 Vendor Electronic Funds (EFT) Registration Request
Form (Attachment E) upon notification of selection for award. If your organization has
previously registered for EFT with the Comptroller’s Office, unless there has been a
change, there is no need to re-register. If previously registered, indicate that information
on the COT/GAD X-10 form and return the form to the Procurement Officer upon
notification of selection for award. Any request for exemption shall be submitted to the
State Comptroller’s Office for approval at the address specified on the COT/GAD X-10
form and shall include the business identification information as stated on the form and
include the reason for the exemption.
2.27
Contract Award
Award of a Contract, generally will be made within 120 calendar days after the closing
date for submission of Proposals or the closing date for receipt of Best and Final Offers
(BAFO), and will be subject to appropriate Federal and State approvals. The Contract
shall be awarded to the qualified Offeror whose Proposal is determined to be most
advantageous to the State based on the results of the technical and financial evaluations.
2.28
Discussions
The State may award a Contract from this solicitation without discussion with any
offering vendor. The Department reserves the right to discuss and negotiate with
qualified or potentially qualified Offerors, i.e., Offerors which appear to be responsible at
the time discussions and negotiations are conducted and whose Proposals are initially
judged to be reasonably susceptible of being selected for award. Discussions or
negotiations will be conducted with all Offerors which have not previously been
eliminated. The Department, however, is not obligated to conduct any discussions or
negotiations. Each Offeror shall be aware that the Department can select a Proposal
without first discussing the matter with the selected Offeror.
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 14
2.29
eMaryland Marketplace Registration
eMM is an electronic commerce system administered by the Maryland Department of
General Services. In addition to using the DHR website (www.dhr.state.md.us) for
transmitting the RFP and associated materials, the summary of the Pre-Proposal
Conference, Offeror’s questions and the Procurement Officer’s responses, and addenda
will be provided via eMM.
In order to receive a Contract award, a vendor shall be registered on eMaryland
Marketplace. Registration is free. Go here to register:
https://emaryland.buyspeed.com/bso/. Click on "Registration" to begin the process
and follow the prompts. As a registered vendor to eMaryland Marketplace, you will be
privileged to many benefits including:
Online Goods and Services Profile:
You can create and maintain your company's goods and services profile with the State.
Your online profile will allow you to receive solicitations issued by the State that are in
your area of interest.

Instant Notification of Opportunities:
Registered vendors will receive instant, automatic notification via e-mail when a
procurement opportunity is issued by State and Maryland local government buying
organizations in your area of interest.

Solicitations Online:
You can review and respond to State and in some cases Maryland local government
issued solicitations via the Internet without leaving your desk.

Note: eMaryland Marketplace registration is active for one year and shall be active
at the time of Contract award. eMaryland Marketplace registration should be
maintained thereafter in order to receive notice of future procurement
opportunities.
2.30
Protests
An Offeror may protest the proposed award or the award of a Contract for this
procurement. Any protest or dispute related shall be filed in accordance with Title 15,
Subtitle 2 of the State Finance and Procurement Article, Annotated Code of Maryland,
and COMAR 21 (State Procurement Regulations), Subtitle 10, Administrative and Civil
Remedies.
2.31
Minority Business Enterprises
Minority Business Enterprises are encouraged to respond to this solicitation.
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 15
2.32
Minority Business Enterprise Participation Goal and Sub-Goal
No MBE subcontracting goal has been established for this procurement.
2.33
Veteran-owned Small Business Enterprises (VSBE)
Veteran-owned Small Business Enterprises are encouraged to respond to this solicitation.
2.34
Veteran-owned Small Business Enterprises (VSBE) Participation Goal
No VSBE subcontracting goal has been established for this procurement.
2.35
Insurance Requirements
Workers’ Compensation -- The Contractor shall maintain such insurance as necessary
and/or as required under Workers’ Compensation Acts, U.S. Longshoremen’s and Harbor
Workers’ Compensation Act, and the Federal Employers’ Liability Act, as well as any
other applicable statute.
The State of Maryland shall be named as an Additional Named Insured on all liability
policies (Workers’ Compensation excepted). Certificates of insurance evidencing this
coverage shall be provided within ten (10) working days after recommendation of award.
The following type(s) of insurance and minimum amount(s) of coverage are required:
General Liability - The Contractor shall maintain the following minimum
insurance protection for liability claims arising as a result of the Contractor’s
operations under this Contract.
Commercial General Liability, Occurrence Form:
$500,000 - General Aggregate Limit (other than products/completed operations)
$150,000 –Motor Vehicle Liability per occurrence.
$150,000 - Each Occurrence Limit
$100,000 - Personal and Accidental Injury Limits
$ 10,000 - Fire Damage Limit
$ 2,500 - Medical Expense
Certificates of insurance evidencing this coverage shall be provided to the State
Project Manager at each Contract anniversary date during the Contract period or as
directed by the State.
The State shall receive written notification of non-renewal and/or cancellation from the
issuer of the insurance policies at least thirty (30) calendar days before the expiration of
said policies. Notice shall be sent to the State Project Manager. In the event the State
receives a notice of non-renewal and/or cancellation, the Contractor shall provide the
State Project Manager with an insurance policy from another carrier at least thirty (30)
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 16
calendar days prior to the expiration of the non-renewed insurance policy. Failure to
provide proof of insurance will result in the Contract being terminated for default.
2.36
Certification Regarding Lobbying
Section 319 of Public Law 101-121 prohibits the use of Federal funds for lobbying
Federal officials, including members of Congress, in conjunction with a specific
Contract, continuation, renewal, amendment, or modification of any Federal Contract,
grant, loan, or cooperative agreement. The law also requires the disclosure of lobbying
efforts using other than Federal funds. Each Proposal shall include a completed
Certification Regarding Lobbying (Attachment F).
2.37
Oral Presentations
Offerors who submit a Proposal in response to this RFP may be required to make an oral
presentation of the Proposal to the Evaluation Committee, possibly on short notice. All
representations made by an Offeror during an oral presentation shall be reduced to
writing. All such written representations will become part of the Offeror’s Proposal and
are binding if the Contract is awarded. The time and location for this oral presentation
will be scheduled by the Procurement Officer. The oral presentation will assist the
Evaluation Committee with its ranking of the Technical Proposal.
2.38
Confidentiality
Except in accordance with a court order, neither Party shall use or disclose any
information concerning a recipient of the services provided under this agreement for any
purposes not directly connected with the administration of such services, except upon
written consent of the Party providing the information and the recipient or his or her
responsible parent, guardian, or legal representative or as required in §10-611 et seq.,
State Government Article and Title 1, Subtitle 2, Human Services Article -Maryland
Annotated Code and COMAR 07.01.07.
Nothing in this Contract shall prevent the Parties from using and disclosing statistical
data derived from information concerning a recipient of the services provided under this
Contract so long as that statistical data does not identify any recipient of such services.
2.39
False Statements
Offerors are advised that Section 11-205.1 of the State Finance and Procurement Article
of the Annotated Code of Maryland provides as follows:
A.
In connection with a procurement Contract a person may not willfully;
1.
2.
3.
RFP Rev. 9/2012
falsify, conceal, or suppress a material fact by any scheme or device;
make a false or fraudulent statement or representation of a material fact; or
use a false writing or document that contains a false or fraudulent
Page 17
statement or entry of a material fact.
2.40
B.
A person may not aid or conspire with another person to commit an act under
subsection (a) of this section.
C.
A person who violates any provision of this section is guilty of a felony and on
conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $20,000 or imprisonment not
exceeding five (5) years or both.
Living Wage Requirements
A solicitation for services under a State contract valued at $100,000 or more may be
subject to Title 18, State Finance and Procurement Article, Annotated Code of Maryland.
Additional information regarding the State’s Living Wage requirement is contained in
this solicitation (see Attachment G - Living Wage Requirements for Service
Contracts and Affidavit of Agreement). If the Offeror fails to complete and submit
the required Living Wage documentation, the State may determine an Offeror to be
not responsible.
Contractors and Subcontractors subject to the Living Wage Law shall pay each covered
employee at least $13.19 per hour, if State contract services valued at 50% or more of
the total value of the contract are performed in the Tier 1 Area. If State contract services
valued at 50% or more of the total value are performed in the Tier 2 Area, an Offeror
shall pay each covered employee at least $9.91 per hour. The specific Living Wage rate
is determined by whether a majority of services take place in a Tier 1 Area or Tier 2
Area of the State. The Tier 1 Area includes Montgomery, Prince George’s, Howard,
Anne Arundel, and Baltimore counties, and Baltimore City. The Tier 2 Area
includes any county in the State not included in the Tier 1 Area. If the employees
who perform the services are not located in the State, the head of the unit responsible for
a State contract pursuant to §18-102 (d) shall assign the tier based upon where the
recipients of the services are located.
The contract resulting from this solicitation will be determined to be a Tier 1 Contract or a
Tier 2 Contract depending on the location(s) from which the contractor provides 50% or
more of the services. The Offeror shall identify in their Proposal the location(s) from which
services will be provided.
This Contract is determined to be a Tier 1 Contract.
Additional Living Wage information pertaining to reporting obligations may be
found by going to the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulations’s (DLLR)
website – http://www.dllr.state.md.us and clicking on MD Employment Laws.
Note: The Living Wage rates are subject to annual adjustments by DLLR.
Contractors may not increase prices because of any Living Wage increase.
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 18
2.41
Hiring Agreement
By submitting a Proposal in response to this solicitation, the Offeror agrees to execute
and comply with the enclosed Maryland Department of Human Resources (DHR) Hiring
Agreement (Attachment H). The Hiring Agreement is to be executed by the Offeror
and delivered to the Procurement Officer within ten (10) business days following the
receipt of notice by the Offeror that it is being recommended for Contract award. The
Hiring Agreement will become effective concurrently with the award of the Contract.
2.42
Liquidated Damages
RMTS system services shall be available seven (7) days per week, twenty-four (24)
hours per day during the Contract period. For each unscheduled service outage, the
Contractor will be assessed liquidated damages in the amount of $1,000.00 per hour of
service outage until service is restored. The liquidated damages will be assessed against
any of the selected Contractor’s submitted invoices. The Contractor will not have to pay
the State liquidated damages when the Service Outage is the result of a national
emergency or natural disaster, fire, or other acts of God, provided the Contractor notifies
the State Project Manager of such circumstances and the Service Outage is determined to
have been beyond the control and without fault or negligence of the Contractor.
2.43
Prompt Payment Policy
This procurement and the contract to be awarded pursuant to this solicitation are subject
to the Prompt Payment Policy Directive issued by the Governor’s Office of Minority
Affairs dated August 1, 2008. The Directive seeks to ensure the prompt payment of all
subcontractors on non-construction procurement contracts. The successful Offerors who
are awarded Master Contracts under this RFP shall comply with the prompt payment
requirements outlined in the Contract, (see Attachment D). Additional information is
available on the GOMA website at http://goma.maryland.gov/Pages/legislation.aspx
2.44
Conflict of Interest
Under State Government Article 15-508 of the State Ethics Laws, a person and their
employer who assist or are involved in the drafting of specifications for a
procurement are prohibited from submitting a proposal for that procurement, from
assisting or representing another person, directly or indirectly, who is submitting a
proposal for that procurement, and from participating in the implementation of those
specifications, whether as a prime or subcontractor. The State Ethics Law applies to
this RFP and any contract award resulting from this RFP.
The successful Offeror shall provide IT consulting and technical services for State
agencies, or component programs with those agencies and shall do so impartially and
without any conflicts of interest. Offerors are required to complete a Conflict of
Interest Affidavit with their Technical Proposal in response to this RFP. A copy of
this Affidavit is included as Attachment K of this RFP. If the Procurement Officer
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 19
makes a determination before award of a Master Contract, or subsequent Contract,
that facts or circumstances exist that give rise to or could in the future give rise to a
conflict of interest within the meaning of COMAR 21.05.08.08A, the Procurement
Officer may reject a Proposal under COMAR 21.06.02.03B.
By submitting a Conflict of Interest Affidavit and Disclosure, the Offeror shall be
construed as certifying all personnel and subcontractors are also without a conflict of
interest as defined in COMAR 21.05.08.08A.
2.45
Non-Visual Access
By submitting a Proposal, the Offeror warrants that the information technology
offered under the Proposal (1) provides equivalent access for effective use by both
visual and non-visual means; (2) will present information, including prompts used
for interactive communications, in formats intended for both visual and non-visual
use; (3) if intended for use in a network, can be integrated into networks for
obtaining, retrieving, and disseminating information used by individuals who are not
blind or visually impaired; and (4) is available, whenever possible, without
modification for compatibility with software and hardware for non-visual access.
The Offeror further warrants that the cost, if any, of modifying the information
technology for compatibility with software and hardware used for non-visual access
will not increase the cost of the information technology by more than five percent.
For purposes of this Contract, the phrase “equivalent access” means the ability to
receive, use and manipulate information and operate controls necessary to access and
use information technology by non-visual means. Examples of equivalent access
include keyboard controls used for input and synthesized speech, Braille, or other
audible or tactile means used for output.
THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 20
SECTION III. SCOPE OF WORK
3.1
Background
DHR, Maryland’s fourth largest State agency, has a critical mission: It works to
safeguard and provide services to some of Maryland’s most vulnerable citizens, allowing
them to live independently, to support themselves and their families, and to be safe from
abuse and neglect. In accomplishing this mission, the Department administers the State’s
public assistance, social services, child support enforcement and community-based
programs. The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finances
several public assistance programs such as Medicaid, Temporary Assistance to Needy
Families, and the Food Supplement program. DHR and HHS share the administrative
costs of these programs. In order to receive reimbursement from HHS, the Department is
required to submit a cost allocation plan to HHS that conforms with 2 CFR Part 225
(available at: http://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/2/part-225 and 45 CFR Part 95
(available at: http://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/45/part-95) and outlines the method
DHR will use to properly allocate costs.
Since 1998, the Department has used RMTS as its cost allocation method. This method
is a federally-approved statistical tool that, on a quarterly basis, tracks the time a sample
group of employees spends working on various federal programs. Employees in the
sample group are contacted or polled at random moments over a calendar quarter. When
contacted, the employee is asked the specific program and/or activity on which they are
working at that moment. The employees’ responses to the polls are then recorded. The
results of the poll responses are calculated and provide a statistically valid means of
determining what portion of the sample’s time is spent performing tasks that are
reimbursable by the federal government. After the quarterly calculation occurs, the State
files a claim with the federal government using the information gleaned through RMTS
as a basis for reimbursement.
DHR initially performed manual calculations to determine its amount of federal
reimbursement. However, since 2007, the Department has used a web-based RMTS
system which has been customized to meet the agency’s RMTS needs. The current
system manages DHR’s two ongoing time studies- SSTS and FIATS. SSTS covers SSA
case workers while FIATS covers FIA Specialist workers. DHR’s Office of Budget and
Finance administers both time studies and wishes to continue using an online web and email-based RMTS system to provide results for the studies. As the Department uses the
results of the time studies to claim millions in federal funds, it needs a RMTS system that
is specifically configured for DHR.
3.2
Objectives
The objective of this Contract is to obtain an online web and e-mail-based RMTS system
that will allow DHR to comply with federal regulations in collecting sample information
for its statewide time studies.
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 21
3.3
Offeror Minimum Qualifications
Offerors shall possess a minimum of three (3) years of experience in providing webbased RMTS services to state and/or local governments.
Offerors shall have processed a minimum of 6,000 surveys per quarter, per client within
the past two (2) years.
3.4
Contractor Requirements
A.
RMTS System Requirements:
The Contractor shall:
1.
Provide, host, and support a web-based RMTS system that:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Conforms to 2 CFR Part 225 and 45 CFR Part 95.
Allows participants to enter responses on a 24/7/365 basis. This
includes State closure days. A list of State closure days may be
found at:
http://dbm.maryland.gov/employees/Pages/StateHolidays2014.asp
x.
Generates, on a quarterly basis, a statistically valid random sample,
for both SSTS and FIATS, by worker and by time. The sample
shall conform to the confidence level, precision, and sample size
requirements in the Department’s PACAP. The PACAP
recommends a confidence level of 95% with a sampling error of
2% for activities with a rate of occurrence of at least 5%. For
activities with a rate of occurrence of less than 5%, a precision of
5% is recommended.
Generates quarterly rosters of current participants for validation by
the particpants’ supervisors and CARM staff for review and
updates.
Is customizable and compatible with DHR’s Google e-mail
system.
Uses an email message to alert participants that they have a
sample. This message shall include:
1)
A link to the RMTS system that contains encrypted log on
credentials (if the link being accessed has confidential
information/Personal Identifiable Information);
2)
Instructions on accessing and completing the observation
form on the internet and DHR’s intranet;
3)
The Sample moment date and time; and
4)
Contact information for questions or concerns.
Distinguishes late sample responses from timely responses, and
separate them out from the statistical results.
Page 22
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.
Provides automated “Missing Response” email reminders to time
study participants and their supervisor after 24 hours of no
response.
Contains a comprehensive calendar system which will allow
CARM staff to enter unique schedules (days and/or hours) for time
study participants (for example “Every Other Monday Off”).
Contains mass email functionality to allow CARM staff to
communicate with time study participants and management staff.
Provide mass email capability to CARM staff to notify participants
of any changes in policy 100% of the time.
Allow CARM staff to make online staffing changes/updates in the
database, such as adding or removing employees, due to
resignations etc., daily, 100% of the time.
Has the ability to generate, print and export (in PDF and Excel
formats) the reports listed in Section 3.8.4.
2.
Provide a quality control measure by randomly selecting a sub-sample of
10% of all sample observations for review by the participants’ supervisors
for validation purposes.
3.
Ensure that the RMTS system is available twenty-four (24) hours a day,
seven (7) days a week, 365/366 days a year, including weekends &
holidays continuously during the Contract term to both Department
workers and administrators. The Contractor shall immediately report any
outages to the State Project Manager.
4.
Provide IT support and maintenance of the RMTS system to the
Department. The Contractor shall be available by phone or e-mail
between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday
with the exception of State closure days (Refer to
http://dbm.maryland.gov/employees/Pages/StateHolidays2014.aspx
for State Holidays/Closings).
5.
Maintain adequate RMTS system capacity to support a minimum of 4,000
users/employees, with an estimated 300-500 concurrent users per day
responding to sample requests.
6.
Provide a minimum of weekly data back up to ensure the integrity of the
time study data.
7.
Provide and install new versions of the RMTS system software as they
become available at no additional cost. This includes making changes to
the RMTS system as necessitated by program revisions, PACAP revisions,
or federal requirements. The Contractor shall deploy updates/upgrades
upon approval from the State Project Manager.
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 23
8.
B.
Ensure the RMTS system contains validation and error check at every
stage of the RMTS process (ex. only valid entries can be made; entries
shall be complete) by providing a pop-up notification and rejection prompt
when non-program related codes are paired with program related codes.
Functional - Requirements& Service Level Agreement:
The Contractor shall:
1.
Assist the Department with the implementation of revisions to the
Department’s PACAP.
2.
Perform ongoing RMTS system administration.
3.
Perform monitoring of the RMTS system.
4.
Load and update staff pools and participant rosters in the RMTS
system.
5.
Maintain the participants / activity / cost allocation basis database.
6.
Develop ad hoc reports as requested by DHR staff.
7.
Develop and update RMTS system procedure manuals for CARM
staff and Department management.
8.
Develop and update time study instructions for participants.
9.
Periodically review, at least on an annual basis, its allocation and
claiming methodologies as well as the program and activity coding to
ensure those methodologies remain current and accurate.
10.
Deliver recommendations and change plans for all appropriate RMTS
system areas.
11.
Perform oversight of the RMTS process to ensure the following
occur:
a.
Automated audit data collection;
b.
Automated supervisor validation control;
c.
That supervisors are advised of missed entries; and
d.
That every entry is date and time stamped.
12.
Ensure the data contained in and used by the RMTS system is up to
date. The Contractor shall ensure that:
a.
Daily review of schedules and entries are made;
b.
Daily data consolidations occur; and
c.
Summary data related to the two statewide time studies is
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 24
available at any time.
13.
Ensure the reports listed in Section 3.8.4 are available online, and
provided to DHR staff upon demand.
a.
The information needed to compile these reports will be
provided to the Contractor by the Department during the
Transition-In period.
b.
Following the NTP, CARM will specify the format for each
report.
14.
Comply with the Service Level Metrics listed below-
Service Level Metrics
FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENT
The Contractor shall comply with the following system service level agreements
as dictated by the metrics in the chart below:
DHR Service Level Metrics – Business Services
Metrics
Measure
100% completion of processing of all
RMTS Processing
completed RMTS survey within one (1)
business day of receipt.
Draw 3,000 moments per time study
within five (5) business days prior to the
Sample Selections
beginning of each quarter and confirm
all 3,000 moments have been selected
and submitted on time to the State.
Send copies of “Response Needed” lists
regarding study participants that have
not responded within 48 hours after the
Response Needed List
original sample date/time on a daily
basis with all non respondents identified
and provided on time to the State.
Provide a quality control measure by
randomly selecting a sub-sample of 10%
Sample Validation
of all sample observations for review by
the participants’ supervisors for
validation purposes quarterly.
Quarterly Sample
Provide 3,000 random samples a quarter
for the SSTS and FIATS with a level of
precision at +/- 2% with a 95%
confidence level.
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 25
C.
Staffing Requirements:
1.
The Contractor shall provide sufficient staff levels to perform the services
under this RFP. Staffing shall consist of, at a minimum, the following:
Project Manager –The Project Manager shall be considered the
primary point of contact during the entire term of the Contract.
The Project Manager’s responsibilities include overall oversight of
project operations. The Project Manager shall provide input and
recommendations regarding the RMTS system and maintain
quality assurance. Additional responsibilities shall include, at a
minimum, daily supervision/monitoring of day to day operation of
RMTS system including but not limited to ensuring RMTS system
up-time and responding to the Department’s requests, providing
reports, and performing a review of the new samples generated for
each new quarter. The Contractor’s Project Manager shall possess
a minimum of two (2) years experience in RMTS service
operations. A PMP/ITIL certification is preferred.
D.
2.
Offerors shall provide job descriptions and individual resumes for their
proposed Project Manager, and all other staff designated by the Offeror in
its Proposal who are to be assigned to this project if the Offeror is awarded
the Contract.
3.
Prior to diverting any of its personnel to assignments other than this
project, the Contractor shall notify the State Project Manager of its intent
at least thirty (30) calendar days in advance, if feasible, and shall submit
justification, including proposed substitutions, in sufficient detail to permit
evaluation of the impact on the project. The Contractor shall replace staff
that leaves the employment of the Contractor with personnel of equal or
greater ability, qualifications, and experience.
Training Requirements:
1.
The Contractor shall provide initial system training to approximately
fifteen (15) Departmental Administrators. Training shall be
completed four (4) weeks prior to the first sample quarter.
2.
The Contractor shall provide initial web-based, on demand training to
approximately 4,000 LDSS staff and management. Training shall be
made available three (3) weeks prior to the first sample quarter. The
Contractor shall ensure that the system does not accept responses
from participants who have not completed this training.
3.
During the term of the Contract, the Contractor shall provide annual
on demand, web-based training to all time study participants, plus
online training for all new workers added to the quarterly rosters. The
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 26
goal of this training is to ensure time study participants understand the
RMTS process, the role it plays in the Department, and its
applicability to their daily tasks.
E.
Technical Requirements
1.
OTHS Technical Requirements:
a.
b.
c.
Contractor-owned Computer Equipment
1)
The Contractor shall not connect any of its own equipment
to DHR’s LAN/WAN without prior written approval by
DHR/OTHS. Examples of equipment would include, but
not be limited to, PCs, printers, routers, switches and
servers, and thumb drives.
2)
If Contractor equipment is connected/added to DHR’s
LAN/WAN without the approval of DHR/OTHS,
DHR/OTHS shall have the right to confiscate that
equipment without notice to the Contractor.
State IT Security and Policy Standards
1)
The Contractor shall comply with and adhere to the State’s
IT Security Policy and Standards. These policies may be
revised from time to time and the Contractor shall comply
with all such revisions. Updated and revised versions of the
State’s IT Security Policy and Standards are available
online at
http://doit.maryland.gov/support/Pages/SecurityPolicies
.aspx.
2)
Failure to comply with the State’s IT Security Policy and
Standards on the part of the Contractor or any of its
designees will be regarded as a breach of the Contract and
may be followed by termination for default.
DHR Network Requirements
The Contractor shall include a plan for accommodating DHR’s
current network security features, listed below:
1)
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Access to Electronic Information Resources – The
Contractor shall implement firewalls to deny all access to
information resources except to that which has been
explicitly authorized. Firewalls are used to secure and
Page 27
segment data and systems.
2)
Confidentiality of Data and Systems –The Contractor shall
not grant access to information resources without the
written consent of the State Project Manager.
3)
Encryption – The system shall provide secure access to the
data using SSL encryption. All communication between
various systems within the RMTS software solution shall
be encrypted or firewall protected.
4)
Auditing – The system shall require that all changes to
information resources are documented and stored on a
secure server. All users shall be uniquely identified. Group
or shared IDs are prohibited. The following minimum set of
events/actions shall be logged and kept as required by State
and federal laws/regulations:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Additions, changes or deletions to data produced by
IT systems;
Identification and authentication processes;
Actions performed by system operators, system
managers, system engineers, technical support, data
security officers, and system administrators and
system end users; and
Emergency actions performed by support personnel
and highly privileged system and security resources.
The audit trails shall include at least the following
information:








5)
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Date and time of event
User ID of person performing the action
Type of event
Asset or resource name and type of access
Success or failure of event
Source (terminal, port, location, IP address) where
technically feasible
Identification and authentication processes
The system shall follow minimum auditing
requirements to be in compliance with Federal
requirements as defined by the United States
Department of Health and Human Services.
Security Incidents – The Contractor shall thoroughly
investigate and document all security incidents. The
Page 28
Contractor shall notify the State Project Manager, via
phone and email, within twenty-four (24) hours upon
initial detection of incident. The Contractor shall follow
published and accepted procedures described in National
Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication
800-61 Revision 2 Computer Security Incident Handling
Guide until complete containment of the security breach.
At a minimum the following events shall be reviewed once
a year:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Three failed attempts per user to access or modify
security files, password tables or security devices.
Disabled logging or attempts to disable logging.
Two (2) or more failed attempts to access or modify
confidential information within a week (five (5)
business days).
Any unauthorized attempts to modify software or to
disable hardware configurations.
6)
The Contractor shall install all applicable security patches
and/or hot-fixes recommended by the hardware or software
vendor. The Contractor shall disable services and
applications not serving business requirements.
7)
The Contractor’s RMTS system shall restrict services and
applications not for general access by access control lists.
8)
The Contractor shall encrypt all communications from the
system that contain confidential information whenever
storing or transmitting of confidential data.
9)
The Contractor shall hold confidential all DHR staff
information and shall protect it from disclosure and
unintended recipients.
10)
The Contractor shall not use data for any purpose other
than what is mentioned in this RFP.
11)
The Contractor shall notify the DHR Project Manager of
any breach of DHR information within four (4) hours of
incident.
12)
The Contractor shall be liable for loss of confidential
information in the event of security breach and will provide
free credit monitoring services, for those affected, for a
period not less than one (1) year.
Page 29
d.
Security at State Sites
When visiting State facilities, the Contractor shall adhere to all
State security requirements. This includes presenting photo
identification, providing information for the obtaining of Stateissued Contractor badges, and wearing Contractor-issued and
State- issued security badges prominently when inside State
facilities and presenting identification upon request at any time.
The Contractor shall:
e.
1)
Abide by the State’s policies and procedures in force at
each site.
2)
Ensure that all staff working under this Contract agree to
familiarize themselves with the requirements of the State of
Maryland Information Technology Security Policies and
any accompanying State and federal regulations, and shall
comply with all applicable requirements in the course of
this Contract, including cooperation and coordination with
the auditors, Department of Budget and Management and
other compliance officers.
3)
Ensure Contractor equipment meets or exceeds DHR’s
standards for virus protection and security.
Password Requirements
The RMTS system shall require a secured login and password to
access the system. The website shall force users to change
temporary passwords at the first logon and shall prohibit password
reuse by not allowing the last ten (10) passwords to be reused with
a minimum password age of at least two (2) calendar days. Three
failed attempts per user to access or modify security files,
password tables or security devices shall lock out the User account.
RFP Rev. 9/2012
1)
Passwords shall not:
(a)
Be the same as the user ID;
(b)
Be stored in clear text;
(c)
Be displayed on the screen; and
(d)
Contain leading or trailing blanks.
2)
Passwords shall:
(a)
Be a minimum of eight characters and consist of
Page 30
(b)
mixed alphabetic, special character and numeric
characters; and
Not consist of all numbers, all special characters, or
all alphabetic characters.
3) Administrative passwords shall be changed no less than every
forty-five (45) days
4) Automatic mechanisms shall be in place requiring users to
replace their passwords in no less than ninety (90) days.
5) Unused accounts shall be deleted after ninety (90) days of nonuse.
f.
Technical - Support Services & Service Level Agreements
1) The Contractor shall make available personnel resources for
phone and on-site support between the hours of 8 a.m. to 6
p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding State closure days to
provide technical support. The Department will not require
technical support on State closure days (see
http://dbm.maryland.gov/employees/Pages/StateHolidays20
14.aspx for State holidays/Closings).
2) The Contractor shall provide service at or above the defined
service level performation standards – referred to as Service
Level Agreement (SLA). Failure to meet SLAs as defined in
this RFP may result in DHR requiring the Contractor to submit
a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) within one (1) business day
and liquidated damages, as outlined in Section 2.42,
Liquidated Damages.
DHR and the Contractor acknowledge and agree that pursuant
to the terms of this Contract, failure to meet established
performance standards, or timely submit a CAP, may indicate a
breach of this Contract and could result in its termination. If a
breach of this Contract has occurred, DHR will take into
account any excusable delay for which the Contractor is not
responsible pursuant to the terms defined herein.
(a) The Contractor shall have a comprehensive approach to
measuring service levels in regards to the RMTS.
(b) The Contractor, in its Technical Proposal, shall define and
communicate the specific methodologies utilized to
achieve the SLAs provided below which depicts DHR’s
Service Level expectations around service response times
and RMTS System availability.
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 31
Severity Classification Definition
1
High
2
Medium
3
Low
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Total customer outage
or an outage having an
impact on a customer’s
business, affecting the
majority of users.
(Examples: 1. The
server is down during
scheduled availability
and Department
Administrators and time
study participants
cannot access RMTS; 2.
Fix any bugs that are
discovered in the
application.)
Problem affecting an
individual or a small
user group. An alternate
bypass may be
available. (Examples: 1.
Request to add user
accounts or modify
privileges; 2.
Authorized user has a
question about
application
functionality).
Problem that is
inconvenient and not
critical to DHR.
(Example: The system
is not automatically
bringing up today’s date
and the worker has to
keep entering the date
by hand)
Response
Availability
5 days /
week,
Mon-Fri,
8AM-6PM
EST
Response
Time
Respond to
DHR within
one (1) hour
of receiving
report.
5 days /
week,
Mon-Fri,
8AM-6PM
EST
Respond to
caller within
two (2)
business
hours of
receiving the
report.
5 days /
week,
Mon-Fri,
8AM-6PM
EST
Respond to
caller within
four (4)
business
hours of
receiving the
report.
Anticipated Resolution
Time
Communicate plan of
action to DHR within
two (2) hours.
Bug fixes shall be
deployed upon approval
from the State Project
Manager. This approval
will be granted on the
same day the State
Project Manager
receives specific
information regarding
the bug fix from the
Contractor
Within four (4) business
hours after response
time if can be resolved
remotely. For issues
requiring onsite
troubleshooting or
resolution, a technician
should be onsite within
one (1) business day.
Within one (1) business
day after response time
if can be resolved
remotely. For issues
requiring onsite
troubleshooting or
resolution, a technician
should be onsite within
three (3) business days.
Page 32
Response
Availability
Problem that requires an 5 days /
enhancement, but with
week,
no urgency
Mon-Fri,
8AM-6PM
EST
Severity Classification Definition
4
NonUrgency
Response
Time
Respond to
caller within
one (1)
business day
of receiving
the report.
Anticipated Resolution
Time
Present enhancement
request to the State
Project Manager within
five (5) business days.
Notify caller that their
request is being reported
to management for
review and
consideration.
Service Level Metrics –Software Solution Availability
REQUIREMENT
The Contractor shall comply with the following system service level
agreements as dictated by the metrics in the chart below:
DHR Service Level Metrics – Common Services
System Metrics
Measure
Within seven (7) calendar days from
System Restoration (Disaster
declaration of disaster,restore100% of
Recovery)
RMTS functionality to the State
Complete 95% of file restoration
System File Restoration – 24x7x365
within four(4) hours of failure, and
requests
complete 100% of file restoration
within one (1) business day
Backups – As Scheduled and accurate Backups performed and completed
(ref. Section 3.4A6)
for 99% of the time
RMTS system is available 99.9% of
Planned System Availability
the time excluding scheduled
maintenance
2. Security Requirements
The Contractor shall:
RFP Rev. 9/2012
a.
Ensure that its personnel is familiar with, and exercises due
diligence in carrying out, the State’s IT Security Policy (see
Section 3.5.E.1.b.1).
b.
Comply with the Federal Guidelines for Web Accessibility,
available at www.section508.gov.
c.
Not place confidential or sensitive data on any application servers,
database servers, or infrastructure components that require direct
Page 33
access from the Internet.
d.
Establish appropriate procedures to protect documents, computer
media, information/data, and system documentation from
unauthorized disclosure, modification, removal, and destruction,
including suitable measures to properly dispose of media when it is
no longer needed.
e.
Implement cryptographic solutions (encryption) when the
confidentiality or sensitivity of information shall be maintained
while a message is in transit between computing devices and when
confidential or sensitive information is stored in a file or database.
f.
Develop a documented process to ensure that access privileges are
verified at least once in six (6) months.
g.
Develop an automated process to ensure that user sessions time out
after a period of fifteen (15) minutes of inactivity.
h.
Develop a documented process to ensure that access rights reflect
changes in employee/Contractor status within twenty-four (24)
hours of the change.
i.
Develop a documented process to ensure that physical and logical
access is immediately disabled upon a change in employment
status where appropriate.
j.
Develop an automated or documented process to ensure that user
IDs are disabled after sixty (60) calendar days of inactivity unless
they are extended through the explicit approval of the State Project
Manager. System IDs are excluded but should be changed at an
interval of not less than one (1) year.
k.
Develop a documented process to ensure that all default access
capabilities are removed, disabled, or protected to prevent
unauthorized use.
l.
Encrypt backed up media at rest.
3. System Troubleshooting
The Contractor shall:
a.
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Correct all system problems and application problems under its
control within four (4) hours of detection. Any problems related
to system functionality (i.e., hardware, lines, etc.), which are not
Page 34
under Contractor control, shall be reported, via phone and email, to
the State Project Manager within fifteen (15) minutes of detection.
b.
Notify the State Project Manager, via phone and email, within
fifteen (15) minutes of detection by the Contractor of any
disruptions in service caused by Department facilities, including email and internet connectivity.
c.
Notify the State Project Manager two (2) calendar weeks in
advance, by confirmed e-mail, phone, or fax, of any planned
service outages that may affect the availability of the RMTS
system, and describe alternate plans.
4. Business Continuity Plan and Disaster Recovery Plan
a. Contractor shall have in place a working Disaster Recovery Plan
(DRP) such that continuity of operations and preservation of data
are assured in the event of a major disruption of normal operations
at the Contractor's and/or subcontractors' facilities. Also,
Contractor and subcontractors shall be able to continue providing
Deliverables in the event of an extended disruption of operations at
DHR, which causes either agency to implement their DRPs. That
is, Contractor and subcontractors shall be able to continue
interfacing with DHR, personnel and equipment (e.g. websites) at
the agency's disaster recovery sites once they are operational.
b. The Contractor shall have clear approaches to:
1)
Working with DHR to create a technical solution to provide
continuous operations of the services in this RFP;
2)
Ensuring the preservation and availability of DHR’s critical
data in the event of a disaster;
3)
Deliver the initial DRP plan within sixty (60) calendar days
of the NTP. The State Project Manager will review and
approve the DRP or recommend changes as necessary. The
final DRP shall be delivered 120 calendar days of the NTP;
4)
Ensuring that the DRP meets or exceeds the guidelines and
all audit specifications listed in the disaster recovery
documents available on DoIT’s website(http://doit.maryland.gov/support/Pages/SecurityDisast
erRecovery.aspx).
c. The Contractor shall create and update a Business Continuity Plan
(BCP) during the Contract period. The documented Business
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 35
Continuity Plan shall have Recovery Response team contact details
(name, title, email, phone, etc.) and include details of Recovery
Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) for
this RFP. The initial plan shall be submitted within sixty (60)
calendar days of the NTP. The State Project Manager will review
and approve the BCP or recommend changes as necessary. The
final BCP shall be delivered 120 calendar days of the NTP.
5. Incident & Problem Escalation Procedure
The Contractor shall:
a.
Maintain an Incident & Problem Escalation Procedure for both
routine and emergency situations. This Procedure shall state how
the Contractor will address problem situations as they occur during
the performance of the Contract, especially problems that are not
resolved to the satisfaction of the State within specified
timeframes.
b.
Provide its Incident & Problem Escalation Procedure to the State
Project Manager no less than ten (10) business days prior to the
beginning of the Contract, and within ten (10) business days after
the start of each Contract year (and within ten (10) business days
after any change in circumstance which changes the Procedure).
The Problem Escalation Procedure shall detail how problems with
work under the Contract will be escalated in order to resolve any
issues in a timely manner. Details shall include:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
RFP Rev. 9/2012
The process for establishing the existence of a problem;
The maximum duration that a problem may remain
unresolved at each level before automatically escalating to a
higher level for resolution;
Circumstances in which the escalation will occur in less
than the normal timeframe;
The nature of feedback on resolution progress, including the
frequency of feedback;
Identification of individuals with their position title and
contact information (office phone and/or cell phone
number, fax number, e-mail address, etc.) for progressively
higher levels that would become involved in resolving a
problem;
Contact information (same as above) for persons
responsible for resolving issues after normal business hours
(i.e., evenings, weekends, holidays, etc.) and on an
emergency basis; and
Page 36
7)
3.5
A process for updating and notifying the State Project
Manager of any changes to the Incident & Problem
Escalation Procedure.
Transition-In
A.
The Transition-In period shall be accomplished in sixty (60) calendar days.
B.
The Contractor shall submit a Transition-In Plan with the Technical Proposal.
C.
The Transition-In cost shall be included in the first year of the Contract and listed
on the Pricing Proposal form (Attachment A) of the RFP.
1.
The Contractor’s Transition-In Plan shall have clear approaches to the
Transition-In activities and describe the Contractor’s strategy to
successfully accomplish a seamless transition.
2.
The Transition-In Plan shall specifically describe in detail:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
D.
Milestones and deliverables timelines.
The transition personnel and their respective role.
The required involvement of the incumbent contractor, State
Project Manager and staff, other State resources, and any thirdparty involvement required during the transition period.
Risk assessment and mitigation recommendations/solutions.
A clear set of tasks, objectives, outcomes and timeframes for work
activities, processes, people, services, knowledge and
documentation.
For the Transition-In period, the Contractor shall perform the following activities,
including but not limited to:
1.
Modifying and changing survey language to meet DHR’s needs;
2.
Converting all historical data from current system to Contractor’s
proposed software and database;
3.
Loading software and database demographic information for all time study
participants and management staff members as well as SSTS and FIATS
program and activity codes and definitions;
4.
Performing system testing on data;
5.
Supporting user acceptance testing of the system by DHR; and
6.
Providing DHR staff training.
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 37
3.6
3.7
Transition-Out
A.
The Contractor shall provide a complete download of all of the Department’s
RMTS data within sixty (60) calendar days of the Contract’s expiration. This data
shall be in Microsoft Excel (minimum Office 2003 or 2007 edition) and/or a
format requested by DHR staff or the incoming vendor (such as in DTS / ODBC /
Microsoft Access).
B.
At least sixty (60) calendar days prior to the expiration of the Contract, the
Contractor shall submit a detailed plan outlining the steps necessary to transition to
a new Contractor. The plan shall include the processes for transitioning services
including data capture and storage, dispositioning historical data and images as
directed by the State Project Manager, and providing guidance and oversight for
testing the new environment, as applicable, to assure the Department’s needs are
met by the incoming vendor.
C.
The Department will not pay the Contractor separately for Transition-Out
activities.
Post-Award Orientation Conference
Within one week after BPW approval, the State Project Manager, the Contractor’s Project
Manager, and any other State or Contractor staff deemed appropriate shall attend a PostAward Orientation Conference. The purpose of the Post-Award Orientation Conference
is to discuss service delivery, invoice processing, monitoring, other Contract terms and
conditions, and the NTP. The date, time and location of the Post-Award Orientation
Conference will be indicated to the successful Contractor upon notification of award.
3.8
Deliverables
3.8.1
A.
Deliverables Submission
For the following deliverables (refer to Section 3.8.4); the Contractor shall
request that the State Project Manager confirm receipt of that deliverable by
sending an Agency Receipt of Deliverable Form (Attachment L) for the
following deliverables:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Integrated Project Schedule (3.8.4.1)
System Procedures Manual (3.8.4.3)
Training Plan (3.8.4.5)
Business Continuity Plan and Disaster Recovery Plans (3.8.4.8)
Security Protection Procedures (3.8.4.11)
Security Process Document (3.8.4.41)
Incident & Problem Escalation Procedure (3.8.4.42)
Transition-In Plan (3.8.4.44)
Page 38
The State Project Manager will acknowledge receipt of the deliverable via
email using the provided form.
B.
For the above-referenced deliverables, the Contractor shall submit by email
an Agency Deliverable Acceptance Form (DAF), provided as Attachment I,
to the State Project Manager in MS Word (2007 or greater).
C.
Unless specified otherwise, written deliverables shall be compatible with
Microsoft Office, versions 2007 or later. At its discretion, the State Project
Manager may request one hard copy of any written deliverable.
D.
A standard deliverable review cycle will be elaborated and agreed-upon
between the State Project Manager and the Contractor. This review process is
entered into when the Contractor completes a deliverable.
E.
For any written deliverable, the State Project Manager may request a draft
version of the deliverable, to comply with the minimum deliverable quality
criteria listed in Section 3.8.3 Drafts of each final deliverable, except status
reports, are required at least two (2) weeks in advance of when the final
deliverables are due (with the exception of deliverables due at the beginning
of the project where this lead time is not possible, or where draft delivery
date is explicitly specified). Draft versions of a deliverable shall comply with
the minimum deliverable quality criteria listed in Section 3.8.3.
3.8.2
Deliverables Acceptance
A.
A final deliverable shall satisfy the scope and requirements of this RFP for
that deliverable, including the quality and acceptance criteria for a final
deliverable as defined in Section 3.8.4 Deliverable Descriptions/Acceptance
Criteria.
B.
The State Project Manager shall review a final deliverable to determine
compliance with the acceptance criteria as defined for that deliverable. The
State Project Manager is responsible for coordinating comments and input
from various team members and stakeholders. The State Project Manager is
responsible for providing clear guidance and direction to the Contractor in the
event of divergent feedback from various team members.
C.
The State Project Manager will issue to the Contractor a notice of acceptance
or rejection of the deliverable in the DAF (Attachment I). Following the
return of the DAF indicating “Accepted” and signed by the State Project
Manager, the Contractor shall submit a proper invoice in accordance with the
procedures in Section 2.25. The invoice shall be accompanied by a copy of
the executed DAF or payment may be withheld.
D.
In the event of rejection, the State Project Manager will formally
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 39
communicate in writing any deliverable deficiencies or non-conformities to
the Contractor, describing in those deficiencies what shall be corrected prior
to acceptance of the deliverable in sufficient detail for the Contractor to
address the deficiencies. The Contractor shall correct deficiencies and
resubmit the corrected deliverable for acceptance within the agreed-upon
time period for correction.
E.
Subsequent reviews for a deliverable containing deficiencies will be limited
to the original deficiencies and the portions of the deliverable that were
dependent on the deficiencies.
3.8.3
Minimum Deliverable Quality
The Contractor shall subject each deliverable to its internal quality-control process
prior to submitting the deliverable to the State. Each deliverable shall meet the
following minimum acceptance criteria:
A.
Be presented in a format appropriate for the subject matter and depth of
discussion.
B.
Be organized in a manner that presents a logical flow of the deliverable’s content.
C.
Represent factual information reasonably expected to have been known at the
time of submittal.
D.
In each section of the deliverable, include only information relevant to that
section of the deliverable.
E.
Contain content and presentation consistent with industry best practices in terms
of deliverable completeness, clarity, and quality.
F.
Meets the acceptance criteria applicable to that deliverable, including any State
policies, functional or non-functional requirements, or industry standards.
G.
Contains no structural errors such as poor grammar, misspellings or incorrect
punctuation.
A draft written deliverable may contain limited structural errors such as incorrect
punctuation, and shall represent a significant level of completeness toward the
associated final written deliverable. The draft written deliverable shall otherwise
comply with minimum deliverable quality criteria above.
3.8.4
Deliverable Descriptions / Acceptance Criteria
The Contractor may suggest other subtasks, artifacts, or deliverables to improve the
quality and success of the assigned tasks.
Ref #
RFP Ref.
Section
3.8.4.1
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Deliverable Name
Integrated
Deliverable Description/
Acceptance Criteria
A schedule, in Microsoft Word
Deliverable
Frequency
Initial
Page 40
Project
Schedule
format, that describes tasks, task
estimates, resource assignments,
and dependencies for both Agency
and Contractor personnel, with
tasks no less than 8 hours and no
greater than 80 hours.
Delivery: NTP
+ 30 Calendar
Days
Updated
Weekly
A RMTS system that generates
statistically valid random samples
that conform to the confidence
level, precision, and sample size
requirements in the Department’s
PACAP.
A manual, in MS Word, that
assists CARM staff and
Department Management with
using the RMTS system.
Instructions, in MS Word and/or
online, assisting participants with
using the RMTS system
Due NTP +30
Calendar Days
3.8.4.2
3.4.A and
B
RMTS System
3.8.4.3
3.4.B.7
System
Procedures
Manual
3.8.4.4
3.4.B.8
Time Study
Instructions
3.8.4.5
3.4.D
Training Plan
3.8.4.6
3.4.D
Annual
Training
3.8.4.7
3.4.D
New-Hire
Training
3.8.4.8
3.4.E.4
Business
Continuity Plan
and Disaster
Recovery Plans
3.8.4.9
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Implementation and
Go Live of Web-
This plan, in MS Word shall
outline the Contractor’s approach
to initial RMTS system training to
Department Administrators and
LDSSs.
The Contractor shall provide
annual web-based training to all
time study participants. The
Annual Training, in a format
mutually agreed upon, shall at a
minimum cover:
 Access to survey
 Completion of survey.
The Contractor shall provide
Online Training for all new
workers. The New-Hire Training,
in a format mutually agreed upon,
shall at a minimum cover:
 Access to survey
 Completion of survey
These two plans, in MS Word,
shall outline the Contractor’s
approach to continuity of operation
and maintenance of RMTS and
preservation of data in the event of
a major disruption or normal
operations.
The date the RMTS system shall
be functional and operational
Due NTP +15
Calendar Days
Updated
Annually
Due NTP + 15
Calendar Days
Updated As
Needed
Due NTP + 30
Calendar Days
Due Annually
Due Quarterly
As needed
Initial Plan due
NTP + 60
Calendar Days.
Final Plan due
NTP +120
Calendar Days
Due within
NTP + 60
Page 41
3.8.4.10
3.4.A.1
3.8.4.11
3.4.E.2.d
3.8.4.12
3.8.4.13
based System
Web-based System
Maintenance and
Support
Security Protection
Procedures
*Ad Hoc
Reports
*Response
Count Report
3.8.4.14
*RMTS Time
Study Report
Card / Status
Report
3.8.4.15
*Activity
Summary
Report
3.8.4.16
*Allocations
Report
3.8.4.17
*Basis
Summary
Report
RFP Rev. 9/2012
The Contractor shall provide ongoing support for the system 8:00
a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST on Monday
to Friday excluding State closure
days
The Security Protection
Procedures document, in MS
Word, shall provide appropriate
procedures to protect information
from unauthorized access.
A requested report that is outside
of the regular reports.
This report is used by FIA and
SSA to determine the activity,
basis and the response count
results for any time period
requested by the user within the
quarter.
This report, used by FIA and SSA,
and lists each LDSS location’s
percentage of the following
categories: Response Rates, on
time responses, invalid code usage,
and annual training rate. This
report is used to determine if
training is needed as well as
monitor quality assurance and
quality control standards within
the program. This report will be
distributed to all management level
staff at each location by the time
study administrator.
Used by FIA and SSA, this report
lists all activity codes and their
definitions. The report also
provides the number of responses
chosen by workers for each
activity, as well as the percentages
for any time period requested by
the user within the quarter.
This report is used by FIA and
shows how costs are to be
allocated. Results are listed by
basis codes, program and
percentages.
Used by FIA, this report lists a
summary of the cost basis codes
and counts the number of
responses chosen for each code.
Calendar Days
Daily
Due NTP + 15
Calendar Days
Updated As
needed
Due as
requested
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
and Ad hoc
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
and Ad hoc
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
and Ad hoc
Page 42
3.8.4.18
*Calendars
Report
This report, used by FIA and SSA,
shows a list of employees with
special calendar adjustments.
3.8.4.19
*Combinations
Reports
3.8.4.20
*Sample
Control Reports
3.8.4.21
*Sample count
by Location
Reports
3.8.4.22
*Name &
Address Issues
Report
3.8.4.23
*Participants
Report
3.8.4.24
*Programs
Used by FIA, this report shows all
program codes and the various
activity code combinations that are
eligible to be matched together,
along with the associated
allocation basis codes.
Used by FIA and SSA, this report
lists all quarterly sample workers
with all the sampling information
for the worker, such as day & time
sampled, and their completed
sample response information,
along with their contact
information, such as name, phone
no. etc.
This report lists County work
Locations, the total number of
samples issued per County to date,
and a count of unanswered
samples without responses to date.
Used by FIA and SSA, this report
lists workers', supervisors', and
managers' names, phone no. and
email address issues. This list
helps management ensures all
email addresses are valid.
Used by FIA and SSA, this report
lists all Time Study participants,
and their contact information such
as work location, email address,
etc.
A list of program code numbers
and their descriptions used by FIA.
3.8.4.25
*Response
count Summary
Report
3.8.4.26
*Response
count by
Employee
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Year to date, month to date report
of responses received by program
codes. This report is used to
determine both the activity and
program count and percentage of
the responses for any time period
requested by the user within the
quarter. Used by FIA and SSA
This report, used by FIA and SSA,
provides a breakdown of responses
by Employee, program, activity
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
and Ad hoc
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
and Ad hoc
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
and Ad hoc
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
and Ad hoc
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
and Ad hoc
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
and Ad hoc
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
and Ad hoc
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
and Ad hoc
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
Page 43
3.8.4.27
*Response
needed List
Report
3.8.4.28
*Response
Count by
Activity
3.8.4.29
*Sample
Distributions
Report
3.8.4.30
*Program
Summary
Report
3.8.4.31
*Training
completion
Report
RFP Rev. 9/2012
and number of responses. This
report is used to determine both
the program and activity code
chosen by each worker for any
time period requested by the user
within the quarter.
Report by sample I.D. #, worker
name, work location, phone no.
date and time of sample. This
report is used to determine which
workers are 48+ hours behind on
answering their sample
notifications. This report is used
by FIA.
Used by FIA and SSA, this report
breaks down responses by program
activity, basis and number of
responses. This report is used to
determine the activity response
count results chosen by the
workers for any time period
requested by the user within the
quarter.
This report is used to determine
number of samples generated as
well as the percentage count for
workers. The results are listed by
Assistant District Manager which
allows a quicker result to
determine these figures by listed
Manager. This report is used by
FIA
Used by FIA to report responses
by program, response count, and
percentage. This report provides
the number of responses for each
program as well as the percentage
for any time period requested by
the user within the quarter.
Used by FIA and SSA, this report
is used to determine which
employees have not completed
training, those that attempted the
training but never completed the
training with the attempted start
date, and those that have
successfully completed the
training. Both employee names
and email addresses are indicated
for each result.
and Ad hoc
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
and Ad hoc
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
and Ad hoc
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
and Ad hoc
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
and Ad hoc
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
and Ad hoc
Page 44
3.8.4.32
*Response
Count 2 Report
3.8.4.33
*Response Rate
by Location /
County Report
3.8.4.34
*Completion
Rate Report
3.8.4.35
*Manager
Information
Report
3.8.4.36
*Response
Summary
Report
3.8.4.37
*Response
Distribution by
Time Report
3.8.4.38
*Response
Rates by
Location
Report
3.8.4.39
*Supervisor
Information
RFP Rev. 9/2012
This report is used by SSA to
determine the activity code
allocation totals for the quarter for
any time period requested by the
user within the quarter.
This report is used by SSA to
determine response rates by
location, employee, total samples,
and responses (timely, late,
missing and no response), within
the sample quarter. This report is
used to monitor quality assurance
and quality control metrics within
the program.
This report is used to determine
the actual total count and
percentage of completed samples
by workers for any time period
requested by the user within the
quarter. This report is used by
management to help determine
allocation metrics.
This report, used by FIA and SSA,
contains a complete listing of
managers of time study
participants. Management uses
this report to follow-up on
outstanding responses.
This report is used to determine
cumulative responses by program
and activity codes for percentage
of responses within the fiscal
period or sample quarter. This
report is used to monitor quality
assurance and quality control
metrics within the program. This
report is used by SSA.
This report is used to determine
both the timing and lateness of
responses by each worker for any
time period requested by the user
within the quarter.
This report is used to determine
response rates by employee, total
samples, and responses (late,
missing and no response) within
the sample quarter. This report is
used by FIA and SSA.
This report is the listing for
supervisors of time study
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
and Ad hoc
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
and Ad hoc
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
and Ad hoc
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
and Ad hoc
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
and Ad hoc
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
and Ad hoc
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
and Ad hoc
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
Page 45
Report
3.8.4.40
*Tabulated
Results Report
3.8.4.41
3.4.E.2.d
Security
Process
Document
3.8.4.42
3.4.E.5
Incident &
Problem
Escalation
Procedure
3.8.4.43
3.5
Transition-In
Plan
3.8.4.44
3.6
Transition-Out
Plan
participants. Management uses
this report to follow-up on
outstanding responses. This report
is used by FIA and SSA
Used by FIA, this report is used to
determine the allocation metrics by
program and activity counts and
percentage for each quarter.
This Security Process document, in
MS Word, shall state how the
Contractor will prevent breaches in
security of the RMTS system. The
Plan shall specifically address in
detail as described in Section
3.4.E.2.d
This Incident & Problem
Escalation Procedure document, in
MS Word, shall state how the
Contractor will address problems
and situations as they occur during
the performance of the Contract.
The Procedure shall specifically
address in detail as described in
Section 3.4.E.5.
The Transition-In Plan, in MS
Word, shall describe the activities
and describe the Contractor’s
strategy to successfully accomplish
a seamless transition between
incumbent Contractor’s team and
its team. Plan shall specifically
address in detail as described in
section 3.5
The Transition-Out Plan, in MS
Word, shall describe the steps
necessary to transition to a new
Contractor. The plan shall
specifically address in detail as
described in Section 3.6.
of the month
and Ad hoc
Due quarterly
by the 5th day
of the month
and Ad hoc
Initial Plan due
NTP + 15
Calendar days.
Final Plan due
within NTP+30
Initial Plan due
NTP + 10
Business and
10 business
days after the
start of each
Contract year
and/ or change
in circumstance
which changes
the Procedure.
Initial Plan due
with the
Proposal. Final
Plan due within
15 days after
award.
Due 60 days
prior to the end
of the Contract.
*Indicates a Report
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 46
SECTION IV. REQUIREMENTS FOR PROPOSAL PREPARATION
4.1
Two Volume Submission
The selection procedure for this procurement requires that the technical evaluation and
ranking of the Proposals be completed before the Financial Proposals are distributed to
the Evaluation Committee. Consequently, each Proposal shall be submitted
simultaneously as two (2) separate enclosures as indicated in Sections 4.2 (Volume I –
Technical Proposal) and 4.3 (Volume II – Financial Proposal).
An original, to be so identified, and five (5) copies of both the Technical and Financial
Proposal shall be received by the Procurement Officer by 3:00 p.m. on April 30, 2014 in
order to be considered.
The envelope of each Proposal shall be labeled as follows:






4.2
NAME OF OFFEROR
SEALED PROPOSAL – Department of Human Resources
ANNUAL OPERATION AND HOSTING OF RANDOM MOMENT SAMPLE
SOFTWARE FOR MARYLAND DHR
Agency Control Number: OBF/CARM/14-001 S
PROPOSAL DUE DATE & TIME: April 30, 2014 at 3:00 P.M. EST
PROCUREMENT OFFICER: Roland Knox
ROOM #: 946
Volume 1 - Technical
The Technical volume shall be prepared in a clear and precise manner. It shall address
all appropriate points of this RFP except the price information and all pages shall be
consecutively numbered. This volume shall contain the following sections:
A.
Transmittal Letter
A Transmittal Letter prepared on the Offeror's business stationery shall
accompany the Proposal. The purpose of this letter is to transmit the Proposal;
therefore, it should be brief. The letter shall contain the title of the solicitation, the
Offeror’s complete legal name as registered with the State Department of
Assessments & Taxation, federal tax identification or social security number,
address, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address. If the Offeror has
registered with eMM, provide the eMM registration number. The letter shall be
signed by an individual who is authorized to bind the firm to all statements,
including services and prices, contained in the Proposal. The letter shall also
acknowledge any addenda to the RFP that were received.
An Offeror shall be deemed to have accepted all the terms, conditions, and
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 47
requirements set forth in this RFP unless otherwise clearly noted as an
attachment to the transmittal letter. A Proposal that takes exception to these
terms may be rejected.
B.
Table of Contents
All pages shall be numbered and Section headings provided for each subject
listed below.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
C.
Understanding the Problem (see C below)
Qualifications (see D below)
Proposed Service (see E below for formatting)
References (see F below)
Other State of Maryland Contracts (see G below)
Financial Responsibility & Stability (see H below)
Economic Benefits to the State of Maryland (see I below)
Additional Information (if applicable – see J below)
Company Literature (if applicable – see K below)
Forms (that shall accompany the Proposal - see L below)
Understanding the Problem
This section shall provide a detailed description of the Offeror’s understanding of
the Objectives of this RFP.
D.
Qualifications
Company Qualifications
A description of the Offeror’s qualifications shall clearly show in detail any
related experience providing RMTS services, as well as the Offeror’s capabilities,
ability to meet testing timelines and established timeframes, approach and
solution to address the requirements outlined in Section 3.3 Minimum
Qualifications.
(Note: any professional licenses, certificates, etc. required of the Offeror
should be included here.)
E.
Proposed Service
This section shall contain the Offeror's proposed Work Plan to achieve the
Requirements of the RFP (Section 3.4). The Offeror’s Work Plan shall describe
in detail how the proposed services or product will satisfy the State requirements
or conditions. Any special equipment requirements or approaches shall also be
explained in this section. The Work Plan shall be prepared in the same sequence
as, and also contain Compliance with RFP Specifications Sections 3.4-3.7 as
follows:
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 48
Section 3.4
Contractor Requirements
Offerors shall describe in detail how the Offeror intends to fulfill all of the
Requirements as follows:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
RMTS System Requirements
Functional Requirements
Staffing Requirements, including resumes for proposed personnel
Training Requirements
Technical Requirements
1)
OTHS Technical Requirements
2)
Security Requirements
3)
System Troubleshooting
4)
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
5)
Incident &Problem Escalation Procedure
Section 3.5
Transition-In
Offerors shall submit their Transition–In plan with their Technical Proposal.
Section 3.6
Transition-Out
Offerors shall provide an approach for Transition–Out activities with their
Technical Proposal.
Section 3.7
Post-Award Orientation Conference
Offerors must indicate their intention to attend the Post-Award Orientation
Conference.
F.
References:
The Offeror shall supply three (3) professional/business reference letters to
support the Proposal. The reference letters shall be current, within three (3) years,
and shall include the solicitation number, Offeror’s name, the reference source
(including point of contact and telephone number), and speak to the Offeror’s
qualifications, character, service provided, performance etc. The letters shall be
sealed in separately enclosed envelopes for inclusion with the Offeror’s Proposal.
The Department shall have the right to contact any reference of its choosing as
part of the evaluation process, including references not provided by the Offeror
but otherwise known to DHR. DHR will notify the Offeror of any references
contacted who were not identified by the Offeror.
NOTE: References from DHR personnel are not acceptable.
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 49
G.
Other State of Maryland Contracts
As part of its offer, each Offeror is to provide a list of all contracts with any entity
of the State of Maryland that it is currently performing or which have been
completed within the last five (5) years. For each identified contract the Offeror
is to provide:






The State contracting entity
A brief description of the services/goods provided
The dollar value of the contract
The term of the contract
The State employee contact person (name, title, telephone number and if
possible e-mail address)
Whether the contract was terminated before the end of the term specified
in the original contract, including whether any available renewal option
was not exercised.
Information obtained regarding the Offeror’s level of performance on State
contracts will be considered as part of the experience and past performance
evaluation criteria of the RFP.
H.
Financial Responsibility and Stability
This section shall contain information to show that the Offeror has the capacity in
all respects to perform fully the Contract requirements and the fiscal integrity and
reliability to assure good faith performance. Examples of information that may be
used to demonstrate requisite responsibility and stability include one or more of
the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Audited financial statements for the past three (3) years,
Dun and Bradstreet report and rating,
Line of Credit from a Financial Institution approved by the State
Treasurer, or
Evidence of no less than six (6) months of working capital.
Note: If an Offeror that seeks to perform or provide the services required by this
RFP is the subsidiary of another entity, all information submitted by the Offeror,
such as but not limited to, references and financial reports, shall pertain
exclusively to the Offeror, unless the parent organization will guarantee the
performance of the subsidiary. If applicable, the Offeror’s Proposal shall contain
an explicit statement that the parent organization will guarantee the performance
of the subsidiary.
In addition, the Offeror shall describe any docketed or adjudicated civil or
criminal litigation that could have a financial impact on the organization.
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 50
All financial information that is not otherwise publicly available, received in
response to this section will be maintained as confidential information releasable
only to those evaluating the Technical Proposal. Other than the Procurement
Officer, persons who will be given access to this information for evaluation
purposes will have signed a Confidentiality Statement.
I.
Economic Benefit to the State of Maryland
DO NOT INCLUDE ANY DETAIL OF THE FINANCIAL PROPOSAL
WITH THIS TECHNICAL INFORMATION. DO NOT INCLUDE
ACTUAL DOLLAR AMOUNTS, USE PERCENTAGES ONLY.
Note: In providing the information required in this section, the Offeror
should state its level of commitment per $100,000 of Contract value. In other
words, for each $100,000 of Contract value, state how many Maryland jobs
will be created, what Maryland tax revenue will be generated, how much will
be paid to Maryland subcontractors, etc.
Offerors shall submit with their proposals a narrative describing benefits that will
accrue to the Maryland economy as a direct or indirect result of their performance
of any Contracts awarded as the result of this solicitation. Proposals will be
evaluated to assess the benefit to Maryland’s economy specifically offered.
Proposals that identify specific benefits as being contractually enforceable
commitments will be rated more favorably than Proposals that do not identify
specific benefits as contractual commitments, all other factors being equal.
As applicable, for the full duration of the Contract, including any renewal period,
or until the commitment is satisfied, the Contractor shall provide to the State
Project Manager or other designated agency personnel reports of the actual
attainment of each benefit listed in response to this section. These benefit
attainment reports shall be provided quarterly, unless elsewhere in these
specifications a different reporting frequency is stated.
Discussion of Maryland based employees or locations may be appropriate if the
Offeror makes some projection or guarantee of increased or retained presence
based upon being awarded this Contract.
Examples of economic benefits to be derived from a Contract may include any of
the following. For each factor identified below, identify the specific benefit and
contractual commitments and provide a breakdown of expenditures in that
category:
•
The Contract dollars to be recycled into Maryland’s economy in support
of the Contract, through the use of Maryland subcontractors, suppliers and
joint venture partners.
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 51
J.
•
The number and types of jobs for Maryland residents resulting from the
Contract. Indicate job classifications, number of employees in each
classification and the aggregate payroll to which the contractor has
committed, including contractual commitments at both prime and, if
applicable, subcontract levels.
•
Tax revenues to be generated for Maryland and its political subdivisions
as a result of the Contract. Indicate tax category (sales taxes, payroll taxes,
inventory taxes and estimated personal income taxes for new employees).
Provide a forecast of the total tax revenues resulting from the contract.
•
Subcontract dollars committed to Maryland small businesses and MBEs.
•
Other benefits to the Maryland economy which the Offeror promises will
result from awarding the Contract to the Offeror, including contractual
commitments. Describe the benefit, its value to the Maryland economy,
and how it will result from, or because of the Contract award. Offerors
may commit to benefits that are not directly attributable to the Contract,
but for which the Contract award may serve as a catalyst or impetus.
Additional Information
This section, which is optional, should include any additional information the
Offeror deems relevant to this procurement as well as any information that meets
the satisfaction of the State’s objectives.
K.
Company Literature
If company literature or other material is intended to respond to any RFP
requirements, it shall be included in this section and the Offeror's responses in
previous sections of the Proposal shall include reference to the documents by
name and page citation. Proposals submitted without these references and
citations will be considered complete without need to refer to documents in this
section for the Offeror's responses to RFP requirements.
L.
Forms
Include one (1) original of each of the following forms in the original volume
only:
1.
2.
3.
4.3
Bid/Proposal Affidavit (Attachment B)
Certification Regarding Lobbying (Attachment F)
Living Wage: Affidavit of Agreement (Attachment G)
Volume II - Financial
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 52
This volume shall contain all price information for all services and products proposed.
When determining prices, consider the appropriate Living Wage Requirements, if
applicable. This volume shall contain the following section:
Pricing Proposal – Attachment A
THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 53
SECTION V. – EVALUATION COMMITTEE, EVALUATION CRITERIA,
AND SELECTION PROCEDURE
5.1
Evaluation Committee
Evaluation of Proposals will be performed in accordance with COMAR 21.05.03 by a
committee established for that purpose and based on the evaluation criteria set forth
below. The Evaluation Committee will review Proposals, participate in Offeror oral
presentations and discussions, and provide input to the Procurement Officer. The
Department reserves the right to utilize the services of individuals outside of the
established Evaluation Committee for advice and assistance, as deemed appropriate.
5.2
Technical Proposal Evaluation Criteria
The criteria to be used to evaluate each Technical Proposal are listed below in descending
order of importance. Unless stated otherwise, any subcriteria within each criterion have
equal weight.
5.2.1
Offeror’s Technical Response to RFP Requirements and Work Plan (See
RFP § 4.2.E)
The State prefers an Offeror’s response to work requirements in the RFP that
illustrates a comprehensive understanding of work requirements and mastery of the
subject matter, including an explanation of how the work will be done. Proposals
which include limited responses to work requirements such as “concur” or “will
comply” will receive a lower ranking than those Proposals that demonstrate an
understanding of the work requirements and include plans to meet or exceed them.
5.3
5.2.2
Experience and Qualifications of Proposed Staff (See RFP § 3.4.E)
5.2.3
Economic Benefit to State of Maryland (See RFP § 4.2.I)
Financial Proposal Evaluation Criteria
All Qualified Offerors (see Section 5.5.2.3) will be ranked from the lowest (most
advantageous) to the highest (least advantageous) price based on the Total Evaluated
Price within the stated guidelines set forth in this RFP and as submitted on Attachment
A – Pricing Proposal Form.
5.4
Reciprocal Preference
Although Maryland law does not authorize procuring agencies to favor resident Offerors
in awarding procurement contracts, many other states do grant their resident businesses
preferences over Maryland contractors. Therefore, COMAR 21.05.01.04 requires that
procuring units apply a reciprocal preference under the following conditions:
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 54



The most advantageous offer is from a responsible Offeror whose headquarters, principal
base of operations, or principal site that will primarily provide the services required under
this RFP is in another state.
The other state gives a preference to its resident businesses through law, policy, or
practice; and
The preference does not conflict with a Federal law or grant affecting the procurement
Contract.
The preference given shall be identical to the preference that the other state, through law,
policy, or practice gives to its resident businesses.
5.5
Selection Procedures
5.5.1 General
The Contract will be awarded in accordance with the Competitive Sealed Proposals
(CSP) method found at COMAR 21.05.03. The Competitive Sealed Proposals method
allows for the conducting of discussions and the revision of Proposals during these
discussions. Therefore, the State may conduct discussions with all Offerors that have
submitted Proposals that are determined to be reasonably susceptible of being selected for
contract award or potentially so. However, the State reserves the right to make an award
without holding discussions.
In either case (i.e., with or without discussions), the State may determine an Offeror to be
not responsible and/or an Offeror’s Proposal to be not reasonably susceptible of being
selected for award at any time after the initial closing date for receipt of Proposals and
prior to Contract award. If the State finds an Offeror to be not responsible and/or an
Offeror’s Technical Proposal to be not reasonably susceptible of being selected for
award, that Offeror’s Financial Proposal will be returned if the Financial Proposal is
unopened at the time of the determination.
5.5.2 Selection Process Sequence
5.5.2.1 The Department will determine whether Offerors meet the minimum
qualifications listed in Section 3.3 of this RFP.
5.5.2.2 Technical Proposals are evaluated for technical merit and ranked. During this
review, oral presentations and discussions may be held. The purpose of such
discussions will be to assure a full understanding of the State’s requirements and
the Offeror’s ability to perform the services, as well as to facilitate arrival at a
Contract that is most advantageous to the State. Offerors will be contacted by the
State as soon as any discussions are scheduled.
5.5.2.3 Offerors shall confirm in writing any substantive oral clarifications of, or changes
in, their Technical Proposals made in the course of discussions. Any such written
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 55
clarifications or changes then become part of the Offeror’s Technical Proposal.
Technical Proposals are given a final review and ranked.
5.5.2.4 The Financial Proposal of each Qualified Offeror (a responsible Offeror
determined to have submitted an acceptable Proposal) will be evaluated and
ranked separately from the Technical evaluation. After a review of the Financial
Proposals of Qualified Offerors, the Evaluation Committee or Procurement
Officer may again conduct discussions to further evaluate the Offeror’s entire
Proposal.
5.5.2.5 When in the best interest of the State, the Procurement Officer may permit
Qualified Offerors to revise their initial Proposals and submit, in writing, Best and
Final Offers (BAFOs). The State may make an award without issuing a request
for a BAFO.
5.5.3 Award Determination
Upon completion of the Technical Proposal and Financial Proposal evaluations and
rankings, each Offeror will receive an overall ranking. The Procurement Officer will
recommend award of the Contract to the responsible Offeror that submitted the
Proposal determined to be the most advantageous to the State. In making this most
advantageous Proposal determination, technical factors will receive equal weight
with financial factors.
5.6
Documents Required upon Notice of Recommendation for Contract Award
Upon receipt of a Notification of Recommendation for Contract Award, the following
documents shall be completed, signed if applicable with original signatures, and
submitted by the recommended awardee within ten (10) Business Days, unless noted
otherwise. Submit two (2) copies of each of the following documents:
a.
b.
c.
d.
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Contract (Attachment D),
Contract Affidavit (Attachment C),
DHR Hiring Agreement, (Attachment H), see Section 2.41, and
Copy of a current Certificate of Insurance with the prescribed limits set forth
in Section 2.35 “Insurance Requirements,” listing the State as an additional
insured, if applicable; *see Section 2.35.
Page 56
SECTION VI. APPENDICES
Attachment A- Pricing Proposal
(complete and submit with Financial Proposal)
Attachment B - Bid Proposal Affidavit
(complete and submit with Technical Proposal)
Attachment C - Contract Affidavit
(shall be submitted within ten (10) working days after notification of
apparent award and each renewal thereafter)
Attachment D - Services Contract –Sample
(shall be submitted within ten (10) working days after notification of
apparent award)
Attachment E - Electronic Funds Transfer
(form COT/GAD X-10) (mandatory for all Contracts expected to exceed
$200,000 - includes base + options years – if a new registrant submit to
the Comptroller’s Office upon notification of selection for award)
Attachment F - Certification Regarding Lobbying
(complete and submit with Technical Proposal)
Attachment G - Living Wage Requirements for Service Contracts and Affidavit of Agreement
(complete and submit with Technical Proposal)
Attachment H - Hiring Agreement
(submitted within ten (10) working days after notification of apparent
award if applicable)
Attachment I - Deliverable Acceptance Form
Attachment J - Notice to Proceed
Attachment K - Conflict of Interest Affidavit
Attachment L – Agency Receipt of Deliverables Form
RFP Rev. 9/2012
Page 57